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Jabbar urges

women to join

politics

KARACHI: Advisor to the chief executive on national affairs, information and media development Javed Jabbar said here on Monday that national politics needed the decency, goodness and adherence to ethics which women can impart.

He urged them to join politics for their empowerment.

He was speaking at a Women's Day function organised by Aga khan Council for Pakistan.

He said the government wants to shift from family-based political entities to those rooted among the masses and in this endeavour women can play a great role.

He urged them to participate in the forthcoming local bodies elections, the schedule of which will be announced by the chief executive on March 23.

"I urge you to participate in these elections which are aimed at transferring of power."

Javed Jabbar said the first transfer of power in this region was held in 1947 when the British transferred their power to people of the sub-continent while the second transfer of power would be from the government to the respective localities and the third form men to women.

He said that this struggle helped to raise their literacy rate from below 10 percent to above 50 percent

He said the political system in Pakistan is facing a critical situation and the women with their goodness, decency and ethical norms can help shape the country's destiny.

"We need you in our political system to give it a chance to make an improvement," Jabbar said.

On the occasion Javed Jabbar urged the Muslim scholars to make knowledge-based interpretation of the status of women in Islam.

The adviser invited the womenfolk to give their suggestions for the improvement of local body system.

Earlier, Fahmida Ajani of Women Activity Committee of Aga Khan Council, Dr Jamila Esmail and Nargis Rehman highlighted the problems facing women in Pakistan.ÑAPP