SIALKOT   -  Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government is making all-out efforts to empower women, and establishment of Women Empowerment Centres across the country is part of the initiative.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Government Women Empowerment Centre at Bharath-Sialkot here on Saturday, he said 55 per cent of country’s population consisted of women, in which very few women were doing jobs for themselves and their families. He said that until all these women earn their own livelihood, the country could not come out of economic difficulties. The minister said that the government was opening women empowerment centres so that mothers, sisters and daughters could go there to learn skills and earn decent livelihood to support their families. He said that it was is a rare opportunity for Sialkot, especially Bharath, and women living in that area should take advantage of the facility. Kh Asif said that at the Government Women Empowerment Centre Bharath, women would be taught skills like computer course, sewing, embroidery, Nazra Quran, drafting, ribbon work and others, which would provide them with ample opportunities for a dignified employment in society.

The defence minister said that by establishing such training centres, unemployment could be eliminated from Allama Iqbal’s city. Kh Asif said that it was a responsibility of the government to provide basic facilities to people, for which important and concrete steps were being taken. He said that inflation was at peak across the world, but Pakistan had few resources to fight the menace. If these resources are provided and all members of a family are provided with employment and they start working, inflation could be tackled very effectively.

The minister said that the PMLN was the only party in the country which had served Pakistan historically and the journey of service would continue in future. Former Member Provincial Assembly Masha-Ullah Butt, Rana Arif Iqbal, City President PMLN Women Wing Nusrat Jamshed, PML-N candidate for PP-36 Hafiz Shahid Ghugh and others were also present.

Peace not possible without solving Kas hmir issue: Kh Asif

Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that tension in the region would not end and the situation would not improve until the Kashmir issue was resolved. In a statement, issued in connection with the Youme- Istehsal-e-Kashmir [Kashmir Exploitation Day] observance here on Saturday, he said that India had turned the Occupied Kashmir into a jail from the past several years.

He urged the world community to use its influence to pressurise India to halt largescale human rights violations, custodial killings and genocide of the oppressed Kashmiri people by the occupant Indian Army in the Valley. He said that Pakistan stands with its Kashmiri brothers and sisters and will continue to support them morally, diplomatically and politically for their fundamental right to self-determination. Kh Asif said that the Narendra Modi government and the Indian forces were committing atrocities against innocent Kashmiris, during which they were even targeting children and women.

The defence minister said that the international powers should play their role to resolve the 75-year-old Kashmir issue so that the Kashmiri people could live in a free atmosphere. He said that the international community should take notice of the atrocities committed against the Muslims of India, Palestine and Burma, and the Kashmir issue. He said these were flashpoints that could destroy world peace at any time.