Govt eliminating barriers to women’s empowerment: Maqbool

Staff Report

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Lt Gen (r) Khalid Maqbool on Monday praised the reservation of one-third seats for women in local, provincial and national assemblies.

Mr Maqbool was speaking at a two-day conference titled Towards Developing a Support Network for Women Councilors, organised by the Aurat Foundation at the Alhamra Arts Council. He said the government was committed to help women play a role in nation-building and finally they would be able to do that. Mr Maqbool said the government was eliminating barriers by empowering women at every level of power in the country because no nation could progress without active participation by its women.

Mr Maqbool said Pakistani women deserved better education, especially rural women. He announced reduced fees and affordable transport for women in the province.

Mr Maqbool called for more family planning measures to restrict what he called a “burgeoning growth of population” in the country. He said Pakistani women needed to empower themselves economically and legally to solve their problems and make Pakistan a modern and progressive state.

National Reconstruction Bureau Chairman Danial Aziz said the government’s reservation of seats for women had been appreciated globally and locally. He said it was up to women now to participate in the program. Many women councillors from various parts of the province attended the conference and asked the government to redress their grievances. He asked women to know their rights and recommended that they not feel shy consulting legal experts about their rights. Mr Aziz said the government respected women and did not deem them second-rate citizens.

Earlier, Aurat Foundation Project Director Sajid Mansoor Qaisrani gave the welcome address and appreciated the government’s decision to increase the women’s representation in the assemblies.

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