ISLAMABAD: The only Women Police Station in the Federal Capital has registered only 208 cases since its establishment in 1994. According to a report issued recently with regard to the recommendations and observations of a Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) that visited the Capitals only Women Police Station on Nov 29 last, out of 208 cases, 75 percent are of theft while 3 cases of murder and ten cases of Zina and kidnapping were registered. Besides, against the sanctioned strength of one inspector there is no inspector, two Sub Inspectors there is only one Sub Inspector, against 4 ASIs, there are only two ASIs, against six Head Constables there are only two Head Constables, and against the 39 constables there are only 21 constables. In 2008, no single crime was registered in the Women Police Station (WPS). This is so because of the decision of central police to shift crime reporting to other Police stations, as there seem to be no investigation officers available. The case register was closed in 2007, the report informed. The report said that the total staff of the Women Police Station (WPS) was 46 while only one vehicle was provided to them for their day-to-day work. Similarly, negligible budget was allocated to the upkeep and maintenance of WPS and even the funds were required for stationary and provision of food to those in the lockup. It was observed that no proper building had been provided to the women police and the present building is actually a sewing centre of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and hence is given to the women police on ad hoc arrangement. The delegation of WPC comprising Dr Fehmida Mirza, Nafisa Shah, Nuzhat Sadiq, Bushra Gohar, Dr Donya Aziz, Saima Akhtar Bharwana and Farzana Raja visited the Women Police Station and were briefed that a total 157 women police officers were there in Islamabad as compared to the male staff which comprised about 10,000, however, no reasons were given as to why women were not recruited despite the admission that there was a shortage of women police. In the light of some briefings and observations, WPC recommended that Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Women Development should jointly prepare a comprehensive policy for improvement and strengthening of women policing in the country. The proposed policy should also define the linkages between WPSs and the mainstream police, and consider enhancing the inclusion of women in paramilitary forces and other law enforcement agencies as well. The policy should also include a 'Plan of Action, which gives a time frame for implementation of the policy. It was recommended to have a detailed gender based review of Police Order 2002. The fact is that the said legislation did not even mention Women Police Station or Women Police Force clearly reflects that women policing was not recognized as an entity. The WPC recommended that a Parliamentary Subcommittee on policing might be set up to oversee the functioning of police in general, but it was suggested that within this committee, focus should be placed on women police so as to emphasize parliamentary oversight on the working of WPSs as a permanent concern. The interior ministry may provide a larger share of budgetary resources in keeping with the requirement of the job. As an immediate measure, WPC will like the ministry to provide additional vehicles and announce an allocation for a separate building for the women police station, report suggested. The WPC recommended that the policy makers may start with the women police by enforcing the 10percent quota reserved for women which was now a part of budget allocation and to prepare grounds for this recruitment, women specific posts must be immediately created and recruitment should be created against new vacancies. They also recommended the reopening of the registration of crime in the Women Police Station in accordance with their original mandate as an immediate measure. The SHO Women Police Station should have the same authority and power to carry out operation exercises, in addition an investigation officer should be appointed. Women Parliamentary Caucus suggested that every police station should have women desk, managed by a women police officer and all cases pertaining to women be reported and monitored from this desk. They also recommended setting up women police desk in all the Civil Hospitals so as to take into account the cases of domestic violence, harassment and rape. This is essential so as to bring on record those missing cases of injustice against women, which were usually not reported in the police stations.