PHC orders KP govt to up security for Women Crisis Centre

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday directed the provincial government to increase security for the Women Crisis Centre in the provincial capital and deploy lady police constables as well.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and Justice Ijaz Anwar passed the direction to the government in a writ petition. It was filed by a citizen Hamid Khan against the Women Crisis Centre. He was seeking recovery of his daughter-in-law who had allegedly gone missing from the centre.

Hamid Khan, a resident of Orakzai district, submitted before the court that his daughter-in-law Najma had taken shelter at the Women Crisis Centre and now she was missing from there and her whereabouts were unknown.

Saima Ghazan, an in-charge of the Women Crisis Centre and Additional Advocate General Waqar Ahmad, appeared in the court. During the hearing, the additional advocate general submitted before the bench that the woman had left the centre on her own free will after the court’s order on February 26. He submitted that the court allowed her application in which she had claimed that she was an adult and wanted to leave the crisis centre. During the course of the hearing, the chief justice asked an in-charge of the centre to inform the court about lack of facilities if any in the centre.

The head of the crisis centre submitted before the bench that centre was facing a security problem. She pointed out that only two cops were deployed for centre security.

The official said that the centre was providing shelter to those women, whose cases are of sensitive nature and needed strong security and protection. She requested the court to order enhancement of the security, including women police constables for the crisis centre. The bench then dismissed the writ petition and directed the government to enhance security for the Women Crisis Centre forthwith.