'Completion of 5 years tenure another feather in PPP's cap'

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) has done its best to protect democracy and completion of five years tenure is another feather in PPP's cap.

This was stated by PPP leader Munawar Anjum while talking to APP here on Saturday. He said the party and its leadership had shown strong commitment and patience to set a new democratic history in the country in such circumstances when people started counting days from the begining and making analysis soon after inception of the PPP government.

He said that during the five years tenure the party had done welfare of poor people of the society including women. PPP did its best towards empowering women, their access to capital and building their skills, he said.

Besides giving significant role to women in key policy decisions economic empowerment projects were part of the government's efforts to create income-generating activities for marginalized women, he said.]

The PPP leader further said the Parliament made significant inroads in enacting laws for prevention of Domestic Violence and Harassment, end Anti-Women Practices and crimes of defacing human body including, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2010, Law for Protection of Women against Harassment at the Workplace Act 2010, Criminal Procedure Act and Pakistan Penal Code were amended to give teeth to the Harassment Act and to prevent domestic violence against women.

Two new sections 336A and 336B have been inserted into the Pakistan Penal Code that whoever causes hurt by corrosive substance (acid, poison, explosive or explosive substance, heating substance, any chemical, etc) causing dismemberment of any organ or part of the human body or deforms the symmetry or appearance of a person would be punishable with minimum imprisonment of 14 years and a minimum fine of Rs one million to arrest the increase in acid throwing incidents on women, he added.

He said Independent National Commission on the Status of Women had been set up after approval of the Parliament. Extension and implementation of the Jafakash Aurat Project were also among the important efforts of the government during last five years, he added.