PAT women rally against Women’s Day posters

LAHORE: A large number of women representing Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Minhaj Ul Quran Women League staged a protest demonstration on Thursday outside the Lahore Press club to condemn "objectionable posters waved by west-funded NGOs" on Women’s Day.

The protesters headed by Farah Naz, Ayesha Mubashar and others raised slogans against "conspiracies to secularise Pakistan and suppress Islamic values." They held placards and banners with slogans like “State must ensure the share of women in inheritance; Modesty is my ornament; Education is our right; Daughters are blessings; Veil is our pride; upbringing of girls is path to Jannah for parents”.

Addressing the workers, Farah Naz said some secular female activists had humiliated all women on March 8, under the cover of women’s rights. She denounced the agenda and slogans of those activists and said Pakistani women wanted only rights which were granted by Islam as well as those which were enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan. She condemned sloganeering of those female activists and said such elements would not be allowed to tarnish Islamic values.

She lauded the services of Dr. Tahirul Qadri for women empowerment in line with Islamic teachings and said he had established quality educational institutes for higher education of women. She read out a message of Dr Tahirul Qadri, saying ” Islam is the only religion and code of life which has not only endorsed women empowerment in all walks of life but has also set principles for its moral and educational basis. Women are half of the population and keeping them out of the national stream would ultimately affect developmental goals. Education is the fundamental right of women towards the state and society. Islam has safeguarded women by giving them the right of ownership in inheritance. No Islamic state can deviate from the Quranic principles of women rights. Lack of implementation of laws is the major factor behind women exploitation”.