Women's economic empowerment imperative for developed, prosperous Pakistan: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Special  Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday said the women constitute 52 per cent of the national population and their economic empowerment was imperative to make Pakistan a developed and prosperous country.

Speaking at the gems and jewellery exhibition organized by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and industry here, she said that women played important role in Pakistan Movement and it was part of the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to empower women so that they could play due role in nation building process.

She said that presence of Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah during the freedom movement along with Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was clear message for the generations to come that no nation could make progress without active participation of women.

Citing example of Malaysia, she said that Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad focused on 100 per cent literacy of girls and women came forward and played key role in making Malaysia a developed Islamic state.

Speaking abut the Kashmir situation, she said that India has converted occupied Kashmir into biggest jail of the world by imposing curfew in the entire state. She said that it was not a conflict between two countries but two ideologies,on the one hand was moderate peaceful ideology of Islam whereas on the other was hard-line Hindu extremism led  by RSS activist Narendra Modi.