Special uplift package for women demanded

09 Mar, 2010

President Pakistan Muslim League PML-Q (Like-minded Group) Senator Salim Saifullah Khan Monday urged the government to announce a special economic package for the uplift of the women as they were the worst sufferers of skyrocketing price hike and terrorism.
Addressing the women wing of the party in connection with International Women's Day, he said women were the worst victims of inflation. The meeting was chaired by the PML-Q Women Wing President Yaqoot Jamil-ur-Rehman. Senator Saifullah further said the acts of terrorism were playing havoc with the women as mostly, the victims of such attacks were men and now their women had to work for the children.
Since, the government had not announced any economic package for such women, they were suffering the most," he added. He said the government, being in power for the past 2 years, had totally failed in addressing the issues being faced by women. "The sincerity of this regime was reflected by the fact that it had miserably failed in appointing minister for women development as this slot was vacant for past 1 year", he said.
The matter of the women's rights had been left to the bureaucrats who had no interest in it, he lamented, adding that it was very pinching to note that this was being ignored by a party which was once led by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
Calling upon the government to announce a special economic package for women with loans and zero interest, Saifullah said this would help women empowerment and would also open new vistas of economic uplift for the women. He stressed the need for ensuring inheritance rights to the women, saying that Islam had given the right some 1400 years back, but Muslims were not willing to follow (the ruling). Saifullah said his party had already rejected Rs 1.02 raise in the power tariff, which he said had no rationale.
Expressing views at these moments, Yaqoot-Jamil-Ur-Rehman said, "Islam also endowed the women with the right of inheritance so as they could be truly empowered and play their role in the society as productive citizens and be included in the decision-making process."

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