LARKANA: An important meeting of Legal Aid Society’s Community Network for Child Protection and Gender Based Violence Project was held in a local hotel here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Coordinator Fayyaz Hussain Sangi.
Naghma Mazari, in charge of Rural Development, Women’s Development and Women and Child Protection Cell, eunuchs participated among others. Naghma Mazari, in charge of the Women and Child Protection Cell established in DIG’s office, said that marriage cannot be done under the age of 18 as the early child marriage is a crime in the law. She said that an 18-year-old Hindu girl has free will and if she marries a Muslim its her will.
She said we will provide protection to such girls whose wedding is solemnized underage. She said that 600 FIRs have so far been filed in Larkana Division to protect women during the year. Sumaira Baloch, in charge of the Women and Child Protection Cell of SSP, also attended the awareness workshop about protection of women by the Center.
Minority representative Sohail Masih said the issues pertaining to minorities have increased but nobody is resolving them. He further said that 10 cases of forced convergence have occurred. He said that in 2016, 50 crore rupees for the dowry of minorities lapsed but was not given to anyone.
The representative of the Minority Department, Umaid Ali Bugti, said that 80 crore rupees were allocated for the repair and renovation of minority temples and student scholarships whereas 800 scholarships have been given to deserving students. He said that two sisters Sonika and Radhika left home because their parents could not afford the dowry.
Fiza Abbasi provided information about the project to protect Khuwaja Sara from HIV-AIDS. The co-ordinator of the Child Protection Committee claimed that we have been working for the protection of children since 2010 and helping the children through petitions in the courts, police and providing them legal assistance. Fayyaz Hussain Sangi said that the purpose of this meeting is to increase communication between civil society and government institutions so that problems can be solved.