KARACHI, October 26 2005: Sindh Assembly during question hour on October 25 was told that 268 women were raped in the province during 2004, including 108 in Karachi. In all, 268 cases had been registered and legal proceedings were at different stages.
Provincial Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui was not present in the House. On his behalf, Planning and Development Minister Shoaib Bukhari replied supplementary questions.
He said that in district Hyderabad 36 cases, Dadu 8, Badin 11, Thatta 2, Mirpurkhas 13, Umerkot 3, Sanghar 20, Tharparkar 4, Sukkur 10, Nawabshah 4, Ghotki 9, Khairpur 6, Jacobabad 5 and Larkana 29 cases were registered during the period under review.
He said that from districts Jamshoro, Shikarpur, Naushero Feroz, Shahdadkot and Kashmore no case of rape was reported.
Shoai in response to a question said that none of the cases, which came to the knowledge of the government, was ignore. All cases were registered and given priority for investigation purposes. But cases could be registered only when victims reported the matter to the police, he added.
He said that it was “pure humbug” that the home minister and the Sindh Government had issued statements that rape victims would be assisted in getting visas to go abroad.
Bukhari said that if unreported cases were brought to the notice of the government they would be registered and the victims would be given protection. Not only this, but they would also be assisted in getting justice, he added.
He, however, said that it was on the court to hasten the process of disposal of cases and to provide justice to the wronged person as the police after completing its work present the case before the court for disposal. “We wish decision could take less time,” he added.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:10/26/2005
