Speakers for collective efforts to check women harassment at workplace

Islamabad: The speakers at a seminar on Saturday called for collective efforts to check the menace of harassment of women at the workplace.

The Sustainable Social Development Organisation (SSDO) organised a seminar on women harassment at the Police Lines Headquarters here on Saturday. AIG (Establishment) Dr. Naveed Atif attended the event as chief guest. SSP (Headquarter) Muhammad Umar Khan, ASP Amna Baig, Principal Training Centre DSP Tahir Mahmood Khan was among the senior police officers who attended the seminar.

Addressing the participants, AIG (Establishment) Dr. Naveed Atif said that the capital police have also set up ‘Special Gender Protection Unit’ to support women and children in distress. He observed that the unit was going well and performing its role very efficiently. He was of the view that harassment of women at the workplace was really an issue which, he said, needed to be addressed. He said the development organization helped the police in addressing the issue.

Expressing his views, SSP (Headquarter) Umar Khan told the gathering that the police was providing all kinds of help to the affectees, however, he added that there was a need to make police more powerful to meet the challenges. ASP Amna Baig underlined the need for a better law to deal with the menace. He said that the accused succeed in getting bails from the courts due to weaknesses in the law. He particularly recommended amendment in clause 509 of the law and added minimum punishment for the crime should be 3 years in jail.

Director SSDO Syed Kousar Abbas appreciated the police for taking steps to check the menace. He said the accused must be punished under the law as they deserve no leniency. Project Manager Anbreen Zuhra Naqvi was of the view that the police come into action whenever the need arises and offered the support to the police department in this regard.