Joint effort to protect women’s rights pledged

LAHORE: Speakers at a roundtable conference reaffirmed the pledge to collectively struggle against the usurpation of women’s rights in the name of religion and on the basis of gender.

The conference titled “Women’s Role in Religious Freedom” was held under the aegis of Embassy of Holland, with the collaboration of FACES Pakistan and Human Friends Organisation (HFO) here Tuesday. The guest of honour was ambassador of Holland, Ardi Stoios Braken, while other participants included political secretary of Holland Embassy, Mr Arjen Nauta, HFO president Sajid Christopher, president FACES Pakistan Javed William, chairman All Sects Ulema Board, Maulana Asim Makhdoom, Punjab Minister for Human Rights Ijaz Alam Augustine, female MPAs Sadia Suhail Rana, Hina Pervaiz Butt, and Sameera Ahmad, and former MNA and JI leader Sameea Raheel Qazi, besides leaders from different religions.

Ambassador of Holland, Ardi Stoios Braken said the government of the Netherlands emphasised on religious freedom and gender equality among all citizens, and promoted these values among the world. She said there was a need to see what importance Pakistan attached to these values and evaluate the need to work for realising those objectives. She warned that all over the world women became victim of religious and gender inequality, adding that the role of women held a pivotal importance in promoting social peace.

Woman MPAs Sadia Suhail Rana, Hina Pervaiz Butt and Smeera Ahmad praised the importance being given to empower women in Pakistan and urged the need to promote the equality on the basis of religion and gender in the country. JI leader Sameea Raheel Qazi said human history was a testimony to the fact that Islam has given the maximum empowerment and rights to the women.

Maulana Asim Makhdoom said society as a whole needed to be watchful against the usurpation of women’s rights on the basis of religion and gender. Javed William, Sajid Christopher, Dr Majeed Abel, Asia Nasir, former MNA Amarnath Randhawa, Sardar Ranjeet Singh, Maulana Abdul Wahab Rupari, Maulana Shakilur Rehman Nasir, Mufti Ashiq Hussain and others also spoke on the occasion.