SUKKUR, April 16: The Sindh police have launched an 18-month long special project for the prevention of violence against women in many districts while the remaining will be targeted in second phase.

The project will strictly enforce laws pertaining to honour killing and other forms of violence, including human rights violation, said project’s focal person and DIG Sukkur Ameer Ahmed Shaikh at a seminar held at the District Council Hall on Monday. The project is being funded by the UNDP Gender Justice Unit and the Department for International Development of the UK.

Some 140 police officials from Sukkur, Hyderabad and Karachi will be trained as master trainers, he said adding: The steps taken by police will hopefully arrest the rising trend of forced marriages, settling of jirga disputes by giving their girls in marriages, and most importantly violence against females.

He warned against taking decision in jrigas relating to women and in case of violations, action against area SHO will be taken, including his dismissal, the DIG said.

He reminded how two SHOs were suspended and another two rewarded — former for negligence and latter for taking timely action.

Policemen are being equipped with latest cameras to record photographic evidences against women. The SHOs are allowed to lodge FIRs and senior officials to investigate such cases, he said.

Mr Shaikh said focus of the project is on four districts, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze where police has also set up human rights cells under the supervision of the SSPs. Cooperation of civil society, NGOs and media is being sought to tackle issue concerning women, he said.