KARACHI The first independent women police station with a 24-hour helpline '1213' established at the Saddar police station was inaugurated by National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza on Thursday.

Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Information Minister Shazia Marri, IGP Sultan Salahuddin Babar Khattak, Karachi CCPO Waseem Ahmed, DIG Traffic Khurram Gulzar, several women legislators and senior police officials attended the inauguration ceremony.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Dr Fehmida Mirza said that the purpose of setting up the women police station was to ensure an easy access for women victims of violence to law and justice. Women police would investigate all such cases involving women either when they were victims or accused.

She said it was the first independent police station where cases and investigation would be undertaken independently. In the past, she recalled, women police stations were only an extension of the regular police stations. She hoped that the new police helpline '1213' would provide immediate help to women in distress.

In collaboration with retired Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid's legal aid committee, the government would also provide legal assistance to the complainants using the helpline, she said, adding that the government was taking steps to set up more independent police stations for women.

IGP Khattak said that the women police station was fully operational and all records at the facility were being computerised. The police station would investigate the cases involving rape and other sexual offences, women trafficking, child abuse, drug-related crimes involving women and/or children, besides the cases involving search, arrest and questioning of women suspects.—PPI