Quetta: A meeting of the Standing Committee on Women Development of the Balochistan Assembly was held under the chairmanship of Chairman Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, where various matters related to women’s protection and welfare were reviewed in detail.
The meeting was attended by Rahila Hameed Khan Durrani, Safia Bibi, Secretary Balochistan Assembly Tahir Shah Kakar, Secretary Women Development Saira Atta, and other concerned officials.
During the session, a proposal for the establishment of model safe homes across various districts of Balochistan at a cost of Rs 240 million was discussed. According to the initial plan, safe homes were to be constructed in Quetta, Loralai, Zhob, Sibi, Naseerabad, Rakhshan, and Kalat.
The briefing was informed that these safe homes aim to provide a secure, dignified, and supportive environment for destitute, abused, and vulnerable women along with their children. The facilities would include accommodation, psychological and social counseling, legal assistance, and rehabilitation services under one roof.
It was also noted during the meeting that dividing the Rs 240 million budget across seven districts would allocate approximately Rs 34 million per district, which was considered insufficient to build fully equipped and quality safe homes.
In light of this, committee members proposed that instead of seven districts in the initial phase, two model safe homes should be constructed in two districts with a budget of Rs 120 million each, to ensure quality and complete facilities.
The committee also discussed assigning the role of executing agency to the Department of Industries and Commerce instead of the Communications Department, due to workload constraints.
The Standing Committee unanimously recommended that, in the initial phase, two model safe homes be established in Zhob and Kharan at a total cost of Rs 240 million. It was further decided that after successful completion and evaluation of these pilot projects, the initiative would be gradually expanded to other districts in phases.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment that women’s protection, rehabilitation, and dignified living would remain a key priority of the government.