ANP women MPs to visit Swat valley

PESHAWAR: The women parliamentarians of Awami National Party (ANP) have decided to send a delegation to restive Swat district to provide financial and moral help to the affected women in the wake of the closure and destruction of educational institutions.

Addressing a news conference here Friday, member of the NWFP Assembly, Shagufta Malik said that they have formed two committees for resolution of the problems of women hailing from the district.

Shagufta said that a three-member committee was constituted under the headship of Zara Khattak that would contact women leaders associated with different political parties and other segments of the society. The committee would assess the condition of the affected women and present recommendations to the government for resolution of their problems. She said another committee has been formed to raise funds for the affected women. The committee, to be headed by MNA Jameela Gilani, would collect funds at national and international level, which would be utilised for rehabilitation of the affectees, particularly women.

The female MNA also announced that the women parliamentarians of ANP would donate their one-month salary for the affected women. She also urged the well-off people to extend maximum financial aid for rehabilitation of the affectees of the militancy-hit areas. She also announced that a grand jirga of women would be held by the end of the current month.

Flanked by MNAs Bushra Gohar, Jameela Gilani, former member NWFP Assembly Farah Aaqil Shah, Zara Khattak and others, Shagufta strongly condemned the demolishing of educational institutions in the district. She said that keeping women away from education was against the teachings of Islam.

“Islam is the religion of peace and there is no restriction on women education,” Shagufta said, adding: “Our Pakhtun culture, too, does not discourage female education.” She said the provincial government was taking every step for restoration of peace in the province and for the purpose it was in touch with the federal government.