Pakistan reaffirms its committment to empower women on intl' day against violence

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Government of Pakistan reaffirmed its resolve to empower women and end violence against them.

In an official statement posted on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the government stated that steady progress has been made in the country through legislative, policy, and institutional measures aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls, especially to address the issues of violence against women, domestic abuse, harassment, and the protection of social and property rights.

"Pakistan’s National Action Plan on Human Rights has ‘Protection of Women’ as one of its key priority areas," the statement read. "Women Protection Centres and a 24-hour Helpline (1099) have been established to provide free legal advice, redressal and referral mechanism."

The government further stated that the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women should serve as a solemn reminder to address the "systematic violence against women in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)."

Citing Indian atrocities in IIOJK which have been going on for several decades, the government wrote that Kashmiri women have been raped, tortured, killed and subjected to degrading treatment by the Indian Army.

"Since the 1990s, the dignity and lives of at least 11,000 women have been violated by Indian occupation forces. Hundreds of cases of violence remain unreported due to fear of reprisals," the statement added.

Referencing India's illegal action on August 5, 2019, when its government revoked the special status of the internationally-acknowledged disputed state of IIOJK, the statement said that the level and form of India's state-sanctioned violence against the women of Kashmir has intensified since the episode.

"Kashmiri women in the occupied territory are living in a constant state of siege and surveillance. Body searches, ill-treatment and molestation of young women during fake “cordon-and-search operations” are being used with complete impunity by the Indian occupation forces."

The government stressed the international community, including the United Nations and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict to take notice of the atrocities committed by India in Kashmir and hold it "accountable for its failure to uphold its international obligations."