Zubair Yaqoob
City Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwni has appreciated the work of non-government
organizations who are engaged in creating awareness of laws and rights of citizens as it empowers them
to protect themselves. He was speaking as the chief guest at the concluding session of the two-day
training workshop for the awareness of laws related to the rights of women and children organized by
the non-government organization Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLAS) in collaboration
with UN Women and Women Development Department Sindh. He also distributed the certificates
among the participants on this occasion. Zia Awan of LHRLA highlighted the importance of the
workshop. The Commissioner said there is a saying that "ignorance of law excuses no one “a person who
is unaware of a law may not escape liability for violating that law merely because one was unaware of its
content. He said referring the workshop on laws that provide protection to the women and children, he
said that lawyers have more responsibility in this regard. He also stressed the need that those who are
engaged in public service work as public servants have also the equal responsibility to protect the rights
of the common people. He said protecting the rights of common people particularly the women and children was not only the responsibility of the civil society organizations or lawyers, public servants have
more responsibility. Earlier speakers on this occasion spoke on the existing laws that provide protection
to women for their rights and gender-based violence. Various participants also spoke on this occasion
they said that new laws on domestic violence. Many participants applauded the fact that they were told
about unconventional laws that they had not heard about before. They believed that awareness of such
laws would help them facilitate women who have suffered this plight and bring perpetrators to justice.
All of them pledged that they would use these instruments to help women in need as much as they can.
Zia Awan of LHRLA highlighted the Importance of the workshop saying that the organization has been
working for the past three decades to lift up women and children subjected to gender-based violence,
harassment, and other forms of torture have been. It was the first organist ion to launch a helpline
dedicated to women and children in Pakistan in 2011, he added.
