Shahzad Rasheed
A Khuli Kachehri/community face-to-face dialogue session was held on August 25, 2023, at the TMA Hall in Mardan. The purpose of the event was to promote the rule of law and improve women’s access to justice in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Blue Veins organized the session in collaboration with Mardan Police, the Social Welfare Department, the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), and the End Violence against Women and Girls (EVAW/G) Alliance Mardan. The event was part of the “Promoting Rule of Law, Legal Literacy and Women’s Access to Justice in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” project, which is supported by the United Nations and the Home and Tribal Affairs Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Different stakeholders attended the session, including Mr. Himayatullah Mayor City Mayor Mardan, Ms. Khaula Haqdar, AAC Mardan, Ms. Resham Jehangir, ASP Mardan, Mr. Arshad Alam, District Attorney, Mr. Jamal Shah, District Officer, Social Welfare Department, Mardan, Mr. Rizwan Coordinator NCHR KP region, and Ms. Natasha Kainat, Representative of KP Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace.
The session aimed to create a conducive environment for addressing local grievances effectively, with a particular focus on women and other vulnerable groups. This collaborative effort aimed to facilitate a two-way communication process to improve the overall justice delivery system, aligning with the KP Government Rule of Law Program. In addition, the session aimed to enhance the community’s legal literacy as they were informed about various pro-women laws.
Mr. Mayar addressed the participants with a special focus on the implementation of laws. “The enforcement of laws holds equal importance as their enactment. A crucial factor in ensuring successful implementation is the public’s awareness of these laws. Initiatives such as open public forums (khuli kachehris) are highly necessary to promote public understanding of these laws, ultimately contributing to their effective enforcement.”
Ms. Jehangir also addressed the participants and attentively listened to their concerns. The participants expressed their concerns regarding harassment and domestic violence, receiving immediate responses. According to Ms. Jehangir, “In cases of harassment, especially at the university level, any female can directly contact the police, and the police will promptly respond in accordance with the law.”
Ms. Haqdar and Mr. Alam also spoke on the issue of forced and child marriage, respectively. As per Ms. Haqdar, “Forced marriage at times sacrifices the agency of girls which also impacts their overall mental health.”
As per Mr. Alam, “Under Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, marrying a girl under the age of 16 is a punishable act and therefore, it should be avoided.”
All the representatives from the district institutions concurred on the importance of enhancing women’s legal literacy to enhance their access to justice. The community sessions, or khuli kachehris, provide a platform for officials to directly engage with the public and gain insight into their concerns. Therefore, more of these events should be organized in the future.