Special Assitant to Chief Minister Sindh for Culture & Tourism and PPP Sindh Information Secretary Sharmila Farooqui said Thursday that there was need to change mindset of those people who treat women violently.
“There are many laws regarding women rape cases but there is need to make more laws and strengthen them so as to provide justice to the victim women. The justice, which society has to provide, could unfortunately not be provided to the victim women.”
She said this while addressing a seminar on sexual violence against women organised by War Against Rape (WAR) at a local hotel.
She said: “There is need to adopt zero tolerance in the sensitive cases of rapes.” She said rape survivors should be supported so that they could raise their issue against rape cases. She said still a large number of were not registered due to lack of justice.
Sharmila pointed out the rape case of a three-year-old girl Sana. She said: “Her parents, carrying her picture, were protesting outside the Karachi Press Club for justice when I met them. They raised their issue and media also gave them full coverage.”
Sharmila said she lodged her case in the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) against two police constables who were found guilty in the rape case with that minor girl. She said: “The accused were given death penalty but after filing an appeal of mercy in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, one of the culprits was released.”
Speaking on the occasion, rape victim Mukhtar Mai asked that why it was so that women were not considered as human beings in the society. She said providing justice in Pakistan seems to be impossible. Talking about her gang rape case, she said she got justice after nine years.
She said forming separate counters for women in police stations was not a solution to the issues but the fact was that police needed more authority to register FIRs against culprits. She said: “Until we do not get justice in the society, Pakistan could not make progress.”
Head of the organisation Ms Danish Zuberi, Sheraz Ahmed, Sara Zaman, Kausar Perveen and others also spoke. The speakers stressed the need to implement laws against sexual abuse of women. They said women should be provided justice in violence and rape cases.
