LAHORE - Speakers at an NPT seminar on women stressed the need for following in the footsteps of women workers of Pakistan Movement.
“The Pakistan Movement women workers played pivotal role to have true the dream of a separate homeland for the Muslims of subcontinent,” the speakers stressed at the sitting held to mark Women’s Day at the Aiwan-i-Karkunaan-i-Tehreek-i-Pakistan. The event was jointly organized by the Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust and Pakistan Movement Workers Trust.
Justice(r) Nasira Javaid Iqbal presided over the function while Prof Dr Parveen Khan conducted the proceedings. Other notables include Begum Bushra Rehman, Prof Haleema Sa’adia, Arifa Subha Khan, Dr Salman Abid, Dr Samar Fatima, Yasmeen Zafar, Saima Mir, Fouzia Naseer, Tahira Anjum, Zarqa Jawaid, Yasmeen Khan, Nasira Anwar Rizvi, Naila Farooqi, Asma Iqbal, Sajal Zahra, Madeeha Arshad and Seemul Shehzad. The speakers called for following Islamic teachings to guard women’s rights
Justice (r) Nasira Javaid Iqbal remarked: “Women played a glorious role in the Pakistan Movement. The Quaid-i-Azam encouraged his own sister Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah to play her part for the cause. The referendum held in the NWFP (at present KPK) yielded a positive result by dint of our woman’s struggle. We must keep the plight of the women of our tribal areas in view and do our best to improve it. The women must be encouraged to take part in the local bodies’ elections and given 33% representation in every institution.”
Prof Dr Rafique Ahmad paid tribute to Pakistan Movement women for their unprecedented role
“The Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust has always encouraged women to take part in all its activities. It accords Fatima Jinnah a high status alongside the Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Mohammad Iqbal,” he added.
Begum Bushra Rehman observed that Islam has given a high status to woman as mother, wife, sister and daughter. “The majority of the elected representatives seem to shirk their responsibility to grant women their legitimate rights. A woman must learn to take pride in her femininity.”
Prof Dr Parveen Khan called for following Islamic teachings.
Salman Abid observed that the Constitution makes it mandatory to provide women with education but 53% of them are still illiterate. He remarked that 2.4% of our GDP was being spent on education and 0.6% of it on health, which necessitates an emergency to be imposed on both the departments.
Arifa Subhan Khan emphasized the need for making the “International Women’s Day” with full fervour and zeal.
Professor Haleema Sa’adiia termed woman a symbol of courage and bravery. It is she who pulls her offspring out of the darkness of disappointment and despair. The need of the hour is to equip her with the best possible education, so that she may provide the country with ideal citizens capable of raising it to the status of developed countries.