Govt must announce ‘Aurat Emergency’: WDF

ISLAMABAD: The Women Democratic Front (WDF) has asked the government to announce ‘Aurat Emergency’ and control the sexual harassment against the women.

Since the inception of Pakistan, women from middle class have been fighting for their rights, said a press release. The speakers on Friday said this while addressing a press conference in connection with the World Women Day.

The participants including Women Democratic Front’s Tuba Syed, Amar Rashid from Awami Workers Party, Saeed Bukhari and Tarhira Abdullah from Women Action Forum, Haris Khaleeq from HRCP, Nasir Zaidi from PFUJ, Kamran Khan from MKP and Minhaj Swati from PRSF.

The speakers said that organisers of Aurat Azadi March strongly condemned the stance of fanatic forces against the march. The said that the opponent of march might be unaware about the present grim situation of Pakistani women. These women are intentionally being deprived of development. The intention of holding the march is only to eliminate the discrimination towards the women. This discrimination is everywhere in the country, they said.

“Illiteracy among the women, economic exploitation within the house or outside, domestic violence against the women, forced marriages, deprivation of property and not giving the right of taking decision for herself are common problems of Pakistani women. The latest wave of women rights movements are clear examples of the aim that now women are no longer want to face aggressions continued for many decades, they said. It is a clear message for those who are afraid of this march that now the womenfolk are no longer sit idle and they will stand for their rights.

The speakers said that they support the march and will foil all conspiracies against the march. They alleged that some extremist organisations are flexing their muscles to stop the march and they also pressurising the capital administration for taking measures against the march. The speakers asked the capital administration to fulfill their responsibilities and grant security for the participants of march. The speakers said that they support the march and will stand fast against any move to stop it. The organisers of the Aurat March and Women Democratic Front President Ismat Raza Shahjahan said that women from all walks of life are up in arms, and it was state responsibility to solve their problems through a policy framework and work for their emancipation. She said that women’s lives are miserable due to patriarchal oppression, but now the women in great numbers have stood against it.

HRCP representative Nasreen Azhar said that propaganda against march reflects that patriarchal system is afraid of woman. She defended the right of women and other gender minorities. She said that Islam gives all these rights to women, adding that narrow-minded religious people are the cause of Pakistan’s notoriety among the comity of nations.

It was demanded on the occasion that the capital administration should take proper measures for peace conduct of the march.