960406

Gilani calls on MWP to

solve problems

of Islamic society.

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani Saturday called upon the Muslim Women Parliamentarians (MWP) to make concerted efforts for strengthening Islamic Parliamentarian Association and contribute collectively in solving the vital problems of Islamic society and growth of Islamic civilisation. Inaugurating Muslim Women Parliamentarian Conference here today he said Muslim Women Parliamentarians would be able to bring about a change in their respective societies through legislative action so that women in all Muslim countries perform their role as the "predominant half".

He said the conference has been organised to give emphasis on the role of women parliamentarians in nation building activities. The MWP must play a positive role in framing their own government policies and resource mobilization "for promoting and protecting the human rights of women at all stages of life in the true spirit of Islam".

The NA Speaker said there has been evidence in recent years that Muslim societies are devoting themselves constructively to issues of national and regional development. With respect to women in our societies we attach priorities to education, population development, employment generation, poverty alleviation and the achievement of social justice. So that we need a framework of urgent action in these fields specially with regard to women sectors, particularly in the Muslim countries.

Gillani said MWP had to sow the seed of dynamic cultural revolution with dedication and sustained work. In this context, he said , "we can draw inspiration from the work done by a number of Muslim countries. In Pakistan, we had done commendable work by introducing a volunteer scheme, with 32,000 lady health workers, who travel from village to village to apprise our women of the day-to-day social requirements".

He said " if we work wholeheartedly in improving the life style of rural women folk much will be achieved in bringing social economic reforms through rural development which was a daunting task for Muslim Women Parliamentarians.

He said: " I am very proud to say that National Assembly of Pakistan has provided funds for the initial year and our modest contribution for this purpose has been 0.5 million US dollars.

Delegates from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Malaysia, Morocco, Guinea, Palestine, Senegal, Turkey,and Uganda are participating in the Conference. Earlier Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Special Assistant to Prime Minister while welcoming the delegates of the Conference said that the Conference is a landmark event and a momentous occasion not only for us in Pakistan but for the entire Muslim world.-APP