MPAs seek updates on anti-harassment panel

The Balochistan Assembly has sought a progress report on the Anti-women Harassment Committee after a lawmaker demanded of the house to make the body operational in the wake of the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway incident. They feared that such an incident might give rise to similar ones in the province.

The assembly session was presided over by Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Khan in which the lawmakers discussed the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway incident that shocked the nation and triggered an outrage.

On Wednesday night, two men dragged a woman out of her car on the Lahore-Sheikhupura Motorway, and raped her in front of her two children before robbing her. She had pulled over by the roadside after running out of fuel and called the police and her family for help.

The Balochistan Assembly members condemned the gang rape of the woman on the motorway in Lahore and also lashed out against the CCPO Lahore for speaking against the victim instead of expressing solidarity and sympathy with her and her family.

The deputy speaker lamented the response of some federal ministers in the wake of the incident.

Pashtoonkhwa Mili Awami Party (PkMAP) lawmaker Nasrullah Zeray on the point of order said that the incident was “very shameful”.

“Incidents like this are constantly happening with women across the country, which is unbearable. The woman reported the situation to the motorway police and others but no one came to their aid, which led to the incident,” he added.

Bringing the house’s attention to such incidents in the province, the PkMAP lawmaker said that a similar tragic incident had taken place in Pashtunabad a few days back. He demanded that the elements involved in such incidents must be arrested and brought to justice.

Balochistan National Party (BNP) parliamentarian Shakeela Naveed Dehwar spoke about the killing of Shahina Shaheen, a renowned social activist and a journalist from Gwadar, in Turbat that was severely condemned.

She (Shahina), a journalist, anchor and artist, was killed in the name of honour, the BNP leader said.

“To date, no killer has been arrested in honour killings, which is why whenever a woman raises voice for her rights, she is killed. Injustice is happening again and again. To date, Arif of Muslim Bagh has not received justice, not only that but no affected woman has received justice in Balochistan,” Dehwar said.

“The Federal Ombudsman for Anti-Harassment has registered 490 cases of harassment by women, whereas 414 cases of these have been decided and 76 cases are pending,” according to an official report released earlier this month.

Published in The Express Tribune, Septe0mber 13^th, 2020.