Joint Action Committee for People's Rights, comprising male and female activists and workers of several local NGOs, on Friday held a protest demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club (KPC) against President General Pervez Musharraf's remarks against local women.
Protestors were carrying banners inscribed with slogans against President Musharraf and other past military rulers of Pakistan and chanted slogans against restrictions on local women and gender discrimination in the country.
Male and female activists of Women Action Forum (WAF) while speaking on protestors described the President's remarks as "indicative of an extremely bigoted, prejudiced and chauvinistic mind-set, which has pushed women backward in their struggle for progress".
They said not only adult women but minor baby children were also being subjected to violence, inhuman treatment and sexual assaults owing to liberty given by the government to animals in the guise of men.
They questioned were all little girls and women undergoing rape and incest presenting "money-making stunts" and to obtain immigration to foreign lands and deplored unlike other countries of the world, women have no access to justice in Pakistan.
Condemning General Musharraf's remarks in an interview with US Daily the Washington Post and also published in local daily the Dawn, they demanded retraction of President's statement, saying such statements would encourage brutalities against Pakistani women.
They said such statements indicate that Pakistani women would have to go a long way for their rights and end to injustices against them as no solid steps were being taken for elimination of gender discrimination and violence against women.
On the occasion, JAC activists also staged a tableau and sang songs highlighting plight of local women and social workers.
NGOs whose activists were present on the occasion included Women Action Forum (WAF), Shirkat Gah, Aurat Foundation, Piler, WAR, Pawla, HRCP, Amnesty International, Aahung, Action Aid, Hosla, URC, OPP, Fisher Folk Forum, SPO, PMA, Hands, IPC and Tehreek-e-Niswan.
President General Musharraf in an interview with Washington Post a few days back reportedly said that rape was a "money-making concern" and a way to get money and a visa to emigrate.
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