Lahore - Special courts would allow victims to speak out without fear of retaliation in the country.
Published: Thu 20 Jun 2019, 11:28 PM
Updated: Fri 21 Jun 2019, 1:32 AM
Pakistan will set up more than 1,000 courts dedicated to tackling violence against women, the country's top judge announced on Wednesday, seeking to tackle a problem activists say the criminal justice system has long neglected.
Asif Saeed Khosa said the special courts would allow victims to speak out without fear of retaliation in the country.
Pakistan sees thousands of cases of violence against women every year, from rape and acid attacks to sexual assault, kidnappings and so-called honour killings.
"We are going to have 1,016 gender-based violence courts across Pakistan, at least one such court apiece in every district," Khosa said in an address to fellow judges broadcast on national television.
"The atmosphere of these courts will be different from other courts so that complainants can speak their heart without any fear," he said.
Romana Bashir, who heads the Peace and Development Foundation, a non-governmental organisation working on women's rights, said it was "a wonderful safeguarding measure".
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