LAHORE - Five temporary shelters set up by the Punjab government for the homeless in the metropolis are not for women, as the administration has not received any standard operating procedures (SOPs) so far to run these shelters.
According to sources, on the inauguration day of these shelters, two women were sent back and asked to take rest at Auqaf’s Shelter located in the vicinity of Hazrat Usman Bin Ali Hajveri’s shrine.
The other major challenge for the district administration and the Punjab Bait-ul-Maal was dealing with drug addicts sleeping on footpaths around Data Darbar. For safety of people taking rest at these shelters, the administration has not been allowing drug addicts in.
It is worth mentioning here that the Punjab government on Saturday set up five temporary shelters so that homeless people can stay there and have free meals until construction of permanent shelters. These shelters were set up on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
On the first day, these shelters received an overwhelming response. Shahid Soroya, Punjab Bait-ul-Maal Officer who is assigned to supervise the arrangements for Metro Park Panah Gah near Data Darbar, says. “We have given free meals to temporary residents of this Panah Gah of 70-beds. First meal was served at 7pm in evening and other meal was breakfast.
“Generous people are also contributing to free meals for residents. Otherwise, the government has complete arrangements for meals. Pickpockets may not see this Panah Gah as an opportunity to loot people because we are checking national identity cards of the visitors,” he said.
Lahore Deputy Commissioner Saleha Saeed visited the Thokar Niaz Beg and Railway Station Panah Gahs. Talking to the media, she said the government was committed to providing shelters to the homeless. The facility of Panah Gahs is available from 6pm till next morning with two meals.
Those who spent the first night in the shelter home told The Nation on condition of anonymity that shelter is an unprecedented step for people who have no home in the city and cannot bear the expenses of hotels.
A labourer, who used to live on footpath or most of the time sleep in Data Darbar’s veranda, told this newspaper that this Panah Gah has given him a totally unique experience and it was quite fascinating for him to sleep in a comfortable environment.
These shelter homes can also be helpful in curbing violence against women who spend their nights in vulnerable conditions. Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) Chairperson Fauzia Viqar said that 8,000 complaints of women’s harassment and 11,000 complaints of torture and adduction of women were received in 2018 alone.
Due to a lack of effective publicity, these Panah Gahs are receiving less number of homeless people, and according to reports, fewer number of people visited the Thokar Niaz Beg temporary shelter home on the first day.