ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday called for intensified efforts to eliminate violence against women, emphasizing education and financial independence as essential tools to empower women and ensure their safety.
Zardari issued the statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed annually on November 25, to highlight the global issue of gender-based violence, which affects one in three women worldwide, according to the United Nations.
In Pakistan, the problem is compounded by deeply rooted patriarchal norms, with incidents of domestic abuse, honor killings and workplace harassment remaining widespread despite existing laws.
“Today, we renew our commitment to protecting women’s rights, providing a safe and supportive environment and eradicating violence,” the president said in a statement. “It is essential to provide women with education and skills and ensure their financial independence.”
“Every year, thousands of women lose their lives due to violence,” he added. “To prevent violence against women, strategies and systemic reforms must be implemented.”
Pakistan has introduced several laws to protect women, including legislation against sexual violence and workplace harassment. However, human rights organizations point to significant gaps in enforcement and the persistence of discriminatory attitudes that undermine women’s safety.
The president described violence against women as a “major human rights issue,” stressing the importance of raising awareness about women’s rights and the urgent need for collective action to create a safer society.
“Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women,” he said.
The president also recalled how Pakistan’s only female prime minister, his late wife Benazir Bhutto, emphasized economic freedom and social equality to improve the quality of life for women in the country.
He said she aspired to create a society free from exploitation and mistreatment of women.
“I am pleased that meaningful efforts are being made in Pakistan to eliminate violence against women,” he added. “Through collective efforts, we can create a safer, violence-free environment for women.”
Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women
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Pakistan president calls for education, financial freedom to combat violence against women
- Zardari urges ‘systematic reforms’ on International Day to End Violence Against Women
- Pakistan has introduced laws to protect women, but their implementation is inadequate
Pakistan military says 12 militants killed in counter-terror operations in southwest
- Pakistan military says “Indian-sponsored terrorists” were killed in southwestern Kalat district on Dec. 6
- Development takes place day after military said it gunned down five militants in Balochistan’s Dera Bugti area
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces killed 12 “Indian-sponsored terrorists” in the southwestern Balochistan province, the military’s media wing said on Sunday, vowing to purge “terrorism” from the country.
The security operation was carried out in Balochistan’s Kalat district on Dec. 6, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement. It said the militants belonged to Indian proxy “Fitna al Hindustan.”
The military uses this term to describe ethnic Baloch militant groups who demand independence from Pakistan. Islamabad accuses New Delhi of arming and funding these separatist groups, charges India has always denied.
“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,” the ISPR said.
The military said that it was carrying out sanitization operations in the area to eliminate other “terrorists,” vowing it will continue with its relentless counter-terror campaign to purge militancy.
The development took place a day after the Pakistan military said it had gunned down 14 militants in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by since yet its most backward by almost all social and economic indicators, has suffered from a bloody separatist insurgency for decades.
The most ethnic Baloch militant group that has mounted attacks against law enforcement and civilians in the area is the Balochistan Liberation Army.
These militant outfits accuse the military and federal government of denying the local Baloch population a share in the province’s mineral wealth, charges Islamabad denies.
