Shelter gives abandoned women a chance to reclaim their place in the world

KARACHI: Iqra, a 19-year-old girl, was left to fend for herself on the streets when her family refused to support her after forcing her to give a false statement against her husband, who was sentenced to jail. Had it not been for Panah Shelter Home, which gave her the much-needed support, her misery would have remained unabated.

Iqra’s story is not an anomaly – there are innumerable Pakistani girls who are left without support or shelter because of legal problems. The Panah Shelter Home, which was established in 2001, has been continuously supporting these women. A small ceremony was organised on Saturday at the shelter to celebrate the fact that its residents had completed a short cosmetology course. The women were given certificates and the efforts of donors were also appreciated. The Chief Justice of High Court, Justice Musheer Alam, Rotarians, students, philanthropists and lawyers attended the event.

Justice (retd) Majida Razvi, the chairperson of the trust, shared its history with the audience. The trust was registered in 2001 and with the help of Amnesty International, it started its activities on the premises of Ida Rieu Complex. In 2005, when the trust was asked to move out, a frantic search ensued to find a new location. After almost three years of struggle, former Karachi Nazim Mustafa Kamal finally offered them the Darul Aman in FB Area. “This place was gloomy and had the scary semblance of a jail. It took us almost a year and generous donations worth around Rs10 million to bring it to its present condition,” she said.

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