By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi on Monday describing the August 14 incident at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore and the killing of Noor Muqadam in Islamabad as “painful” said that implementation of laws, speedy justice and improved social behaviors were vital to check such happenings.
“There are laws in the country. But if law is not implemented, it is just a piece of paper. With a law of reward and punishment, speedy justice is also important, otherwise people forget such incidents. Then there is fear of God as well as social culture and behaviors,” he remarked.
The President expressed these views while addressing the orientation ceremony of the “Dukhtaran-e-Pakistan Narrative” organized by Female Campus of the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Minister of State for Climate Change Ms. Zartaj Gul, Provincial Minister for Women Development, Punjab Ashfa Riaz Fatyana, Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Dr. Qibla Ayaz Rector IIUI Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Vice President (Female Campus) IIUI Prof. Dr. Farkhnda Zia and President International Muslim Women Union and Ex-Member Parliament Dr. Samia Raheel Qazi also addressed the event.
The President said that contrary to the Western societies where the women in UK got property rights in the 20th century, Islam gave women important place and respect in the society along with financial independence through the right of inheritance 1400 years ago.
Similarly, he said, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah along with the founder of nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah remained in the forefront during the Pakistan Movement and later also participated in the country’s politics.
The President said that it was not the government alone but the whole society which have to play its role in curbing such immoral happenings like those in Lahore and Islamabad through their good social behaviors.
He cited the example of Tsunami in Japan when there was shortage of water in some areas of the country, but hundreds of people were queuing up for their turn to take water.
“There comes a feeling of discontent in the society, when people instead of taking any action in such circumstances prefer to just stand aside or make video clips of the incident,” he remarked.
The President also urged women to focus on the proper guidance and education of their children particularly the girls about the environment in country and society so that they could remain cautious and tell their parents about any unusual happening.
He was critical of the double standards of the West about the rights of women and children. “After failure in Afghanistan they are worried about the women, but when there was bombardment in that country, they were not concerned about women and children,” he remarked.
The President describing women as an important pillar of the society also urged the need of benefitting from and reviving the institution of “Girl Guides” present in every college of the country.
He also mentioned with appreciation a decision of Balochistan High Court under which in case of the death of a person, his/her property would be automatically transferred to legal heirs as per official record.
The President further said that under the government’s Ehsaas Programme women were offered soft micro credit like done in Bangladesh for the financial empowerment of women and the amounts were being directly transferred to their accounts.
He, however, added that according to the State Bank, only 5% of the women benefited from the facility.
The President urged the women activists to play their role in motivating the poor women to benefit from the facility for self-employment.
