9364 CASES OF POLICE TORTURE REPORTED DURING THE LAST NINE YEARS
Crime and violence ratio is increasing in province of Punjab rapidly…” Zia Awan“

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SEMINAR

"Women's voices and Hidden Pain"

More than 7870 cases of Violance against women were reported in 2007.

This was stated by Mr. Zia Ahmed Awan Advocate and President of Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) while speaking at a seminar organized by Madadgaar helpline, with the collaboration of LHRLA along with UNICEF.

He said that these women had been subjected to regular abuse, mental and physical torture, assaults, some sexual

in nature. The women described the violance and how they had been isolated and then persecuted when they cried for help and justice.

Mr. Zia Ahmed Awan said that violance was everywhere and those who speak about it in public do not really know what is the pain really like as they have never experienced it themselves. The media reports only a miniscule number of cases.

Serveral women victims were invited to tell their ordeal to help sensitive the media, the public, the judicary and the politicians.

Dr. Shaista Wahidi said that until the day when feudal system and inequailty is eliminated from the Pakistani society, it is the duty of NGO's and the media to highlightthese issues, sensitize the public to motivate the society into action.

She called for a more comprehensive law over domestic violence.

Ms. Hashmi, who heads SOS Village, said that men are the one's who are not getting the proper Islamic education and that is the reason why they do not respect women and indulge in such criminal practise. She suggested that the media cover these cases in a way that other people could gain vital knowledge about such happenings and draw lessons.

Recommandations:

Ø A Lady Ombudsman should be appointed to check the violence against women and redress their problems with independent judicial powers;
Ø A police Ombudsman should be appointed to redress the problems of aggrieved people against police;
Ø Police Department should establish monitoring cell at city and provincial level to check the reported cases of violence against women;
Ø Police should collect national statistics to create a profile of the women victims of violence and also the perpetrators;
Ø Government should make arrangements to provide free legal aid at district level to women victims of violence;
Ø Domestic Violence should be covered under criminal law;