Imperative for women to enjoy their rights, powers: CJP

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed has said it was imperative that women enjoyed all rights and powers guaranteed by the Constitution.

He was addressing a ceremony on Saturday to inaugurate the Pink Ribbon Hospital, the first ever fully dedicated breast cancer facility in Pakistan and the world, on Saturday.

Justice Gulzar said that the Constitution has guaranteed many rights and powers to women which should be provide to them. He said that not only women should be given representation everywhere but all their rights should also be protected.

The CJP highlighted the constitutional rights of women in the country and said that the women were not only a valuable part of the country but the lifeline of the society, adding, “the wellbeing of women leads to wellbeing of the whole nation.”

The Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed said it was unfortunate that a country, with a huge women population, had no specialized breast cancer institute, adding that as many as 40,000 deaths a year due to breast cancer could not be overlooked.

He urged the need of comprehending the gravity of the situation and added that breast cancer hospitals and clinics should be established throughout the country to detect and treat the disease on the early stage. He assured the hospital administration of an unflinching support by the Supreme Court to the cause.

Earlier, the CEO of Pink Ribbon Pakistan Dr Omer Aftab said that his organization was working dedicatedly on the issue of breast cancer in the country for 17 years, adding, “the journey of the organisation has been full of challenges as there was a time when even mentioning the word “Breast Cancer” was taboo, which has now become a leading topic in the national health agenda.”

He asserted that the organisation had educated 1.3 million young girls on the need of breast self-examination, and 18 million women on early detection techniques since the inception of the organisation back in 2004.

Dr Aftab highlighted that the consistent campaigns and various community engagement initiatives led to a 400 per cent increase in mammogram screening in the country.

The hospital was a fully charitable organization depending on donations. “Upon completion, the hospital will be able to provide world-class treatment to 40,000 deserving breast cancer patients, annually,” he added.