Pressure on mobile companies in AJK to terminate female staff

Pressure on mobile companies in AJK to terminate female staff !

Instead of ensuring equal job opportunities to women in a congenial and fully secure environment, law enforcement authorities are exerting pressure on cellular companies to terminate the services of their female staff in order to avoid the wrath of extremist groups active in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, The Nation learnt on Thursday.
Sources in the cellular companies confided to The Nation that in a letter sent to the local franchises of mobile phone companies doing business in the area, SP Poonch/Rawalakot, has instructed that all female staff must be relieved of their duties with immediate effect.
The letter cites “unrest in the civil society due to girls working in these offices” as the reason for this directive, sources added.
The sources said that this notice is clear gender discrimination and against the laws of the land which ensures women “full participation in all spheres of national life.” Moreover, such instructions from a sensitive government office only serve to undermine the national level efforts of the government to promote gender equality, they maintained.
An employee working at a mobile franchise in Rawalakot seeking anonymity told The Nation that there was no threat of extremists attack on any office having female staff in the area neither they have received any anonymous letter or Any note to terminate female staff from the company.
He said that they never received any tragic reminder of the risks like facing companies and girls school in northern areas every day, who are struggling amid the insecurity to receive their right to education.
He called upon all the law enforcement authorities to exercise their responsibility and duty to ensure that mobile phone offices remain safe havens for female staff to attend, learn and work.
This news is published in pakistan leading News paper The Nation on June4 ,2009