Awareness key to check rights violations

CHITRAL, Dec 2: Speakers at a seminar here on Sunday stressed the need for creating awareness among people to check violation of human rights in the society. The seminar was organised by Legal Awareness Programme for Human Rights (LAPH). Lawyers and activists of women rights organisations attended the seminar. LAPH chairman Niaz Ali Shah, public prosecutor Ayazud Din and LAPH legal adviser Advocate Sajidullah presented their papers on different aspects of the constitution and panel code of the country that ensured freedom and protection to its citizens. They said that people would be vulnerable to human rights violations if they remained ignorant about their rights and protection ensured to them. They said that LAPH was trying to approach all segments of society to educate them about human rights. The speakers said that mass education on human rights during the last couple of years caused decrease in incidents of gender-based violence across the district. One of the papers discussed Protection of Women Act 2006, aimed at safeguarding women against misuse and abuse of law and preventing their exploitation. According to the paper, Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone and that the state shall make provisions for the protection of women. It said that the amendments introduced in the laws relating to zina and qazf were in conformity with the stated objectives of the Constitution and injunctions of Islam. The speakers said that laws alone couldn’t safeguard human rights, howsoever, it would be preferable if people had clear perception about the laws.Women rights activists Nahida Saif, Falak Naz, Bibi Jan and Fouzia Bibi lauded the efforts of LAPH and said that it helped thousands of distressed women in Chitral during the last few years.–Dawn]]>