Civil society group expresses concern over crimes against women in Pakistan

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 28 : A Pakistan based civil society organization has expressed concern over increasing crimes against women and inaction of the government and the judiciary in the country, local media said.
Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) Vice Chairperson Justice (R) Nasirah Iqbal said that country's founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah had wished for men and women to work shoulder to shoulder in Pakistan but we have failed to work on his vision.
She added that for a prosperous Pakistan protection of women rights are extremely important and those committing crimes against women should be brought to justice.
TIP Chairperson Yasmin Larry said that the recent Minar-e-Pakistan incident is a test case for our government and our criminal justice system.
She added that the government should act on the guidelines given by the UN for ending discriminatory behaviour with women and it is the only way to end violence against women in Pakistan.
The annual report released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in June this year set alarm bells ringing over the plight of women in the country.
The HRCP report highlighted an array of issues impacting the marginalised communities in Pakistan; there has been a special emphasis on the plight of women, with gender discrimination prevalent across the country.
The gender disparity is witnessed even in subcategories of crimes, including, for instance, persecution of religious minorities, with issues such as forced conversions being witnessed.
Other human rights abuses to target women include child marriage and honour killings, which even though impact men as well, are largely centered on controlling and subjugating women according to experts.