RAWALPINDI, June 7: In order to implement Punjab Women Empowerment Package-2012, the officials from the four districts of Rawalpindi division on Thursday held a meeting to devise a strategy for protecting women rights and strictly curbing acid-throwing incidents.

The women empowerment package would be implemented on division level in Punjab and departments concerned would hold seminars, awareness walks and launch campaigns in both urban and rural areas to sensitise the society about the women rights.

Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Imdadullah Bosal directed the officials concerned to facilitate the women and resolve their problems on priority basis in land transfer cases, police issues and health-related problems and conduct raids on explosive shops in order to check storage of acid.

All the departments concerned were directed to make all-out efforts to implement this package as without empowerment of women, a society could not flourish, prosper and develop without the active participation of women-folk.

The commissioner said that the status of women had not been ensured so far which was due to them according to the Islamic teachings. “This situation is alarming as 58 per cent population is based on women-folk in Pakistan,” he said.

Presiding over the meeting, the commissioner said that the women should be mobilised to make them aware of their basic rights by holding seminars not only in the urban areas but also in the rural areas.

The meeting was informed that the Punjab government had proposed three-year imprisonment and fine up to Rs500,000 as punishment for harassing a woman during her duty hours.

The revenue officials were directed to give rights of property to women in rural areas and provide them protection so that women could not get deprived of their inherited property rights.