Panelists discuss why Pakistan needs Women's Protection Bill

Speaker says religious leaders never speak against domestic violence are just against the women protection act


Babar Naveed March 31, 2016
PHOTO: FACEBOOK

The country’s religious parties are adamant in flaying the Women Protection Bill as violence against women continuing at an alarming rate.

Keeping this in view, a discussion on the merits of the bill and struggles of women in general within the social and legal construct of Pakistan was organised at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums) in front of a live audience.

Never Forget Pakistan (NFP), a campaign working towards social advancement, in collaboration with Hum Aahang and Amnesty International LUMS presented the first edition of its Monthly University Talk Series Aao Baat Karein, with the topic Aurat aur Pakistan. The event was the first in a series of monthly talks which NFP plans to host on various social, economic, religious and political issues at different university campuses.

The event featured two key note speakers, Syeda Ghulam Fatima of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front and Bushra Bano Arain of the All Pakistan Lady Health Worker’s Welfare Association.

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“I have fought against oppression, coercion, forced labour and torture perpetuated by a very powerful mafia in the Pakistan. I fight against these forces physically and psychologically,” labour rights activist Syeda Ghulam Fatima said while addressing the gathering.

Narrating the horrors of working in a kiln, she vowed to change the system and eliminate bonded labour. “We will keep struggling and raising out voice against this cruel system of bonded labour,” she said, while adding that women are “humiliated everywhere in our country whether it is a brick kiln or a Chaudhry’s dera or the workplace.”

Fatima rose to prominence earlier this year when American photographer Brandon Stanton featured her picture and story on his famed Humans of New York (Hony) photo-blog. She went on to speak of the crimes that take place against women and girls at brick kilns. “Sexual harassment and assaults are common there. Girls and women who work at these places have to face difficulties due to a lack of facilities and toilets. Women are always sexually abused at these kilns. If the victim is brave enough to report such a crime, the police are there to ensure that she does not get anywhere.”

Fatima said it is the responsibly of the government to empower women and ensure that they do not face such brutalities.
Fatima also criticised the clergy saying, “The clergy wants to portray their own conceptual Islam; they have never ever raised a voice against bonded labour or for people being violated at work places.”

“The clergy never says anything in favour of women who are abused. They are just against the women protection act,” she added.

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In a similar vein, Bushra Bano Arain spoke of the atrocities committed against lady health workers and supervisors. They have sacrificed their lives, been baton-charged and put behind bars for simply carrying out their duties, she said. “When lady health workers leave their houses and children to administer polio drops at people’s door steps, they are treated in a shameful manner,” she said, adding that 96 lady health workers have so far lost their lives in polio campaigns across the nation.

The keynote speakers’ speeches were followed by a panel discussion on the Women’s Protection Bill. The panel featured Salman Sufi of the Special Monitoring Unit of Government of Punjab, Dr Samia Raheel Qazi, the only female member of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), PML-N MPA Azma Bukhari, religious scholar Dr Khalid Zaheer and counseling psychologist Muntaha Ahmad, and moderated by rights activist Mohammad Jibran Nasir who serves as lead campaigner at NFP.

Sufi, who has also authored the bill and is a senior member of the government’s special monitoring unit, said, “There is a lot of misconception regarding the women protection bill in Punjab. The perception that this bill has been passed due to pressure from the West or to make the West happy is wrong.”

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Responding to a question on low attendance in Parliament on the day the bill had to be passed, Punjab Assembly Law and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Chairman MPA Azma Zahid Bukhari said that nowhere in the world is full attendance guaranteed at the time an important bill has to be passed. However, she admitted that there are individuals who do not approve of or support the bill.

Samia Raheel Qazi, following the line of her party Jamaat-e-Islami, criticised the bill as an attempt to ‘jeopardise’ the traditional system of resolving family disputes through help from elders. Nasir, however, pointed out that in cases of honor killings, parents and relatives are themselves the biggest threat to women.

Qazi further added that the CII has an issue with 13 of the bill’s clauses and is ready to provide alternate solutions.

Dr Khalid Zaheer categorically stated that Islam does not allow husbands any use of violence against their views and explained that Quranic teachings are manipulated and not properly taught by members of the clergy, which, he said, in turn defames Islam.

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On a question on marital rape, scholar Dr Khalid Zaheer said that such a term did not exist within religious parametres and that in such a situation, the only possible option is for a “compromise” to be made.

However, a very plausible critique of the bill came from psychologist Muntaha Ahmad who remarked that the bill fails to take into consideration that a victim of psychological abuse is likely to become depressed and in such a state of mind, lose the capacity to reach out for help. She also informed audience members of signs to look out for within their friends and relatives to gain insight if they are suffering from psychological abuse and require help.

NFP will be holding its next session of Aao Baat Karain on April 23 at IBA, Karachi on the subject of climate change.

COMMENTS (1)

Luminite | 7 years ago | Reply LUMS should invite American journalist and Infowars anchor Alex Jones.That would be amazing!
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