National Commission on the Status of Women 2007 ANNUAL REPORT

Year 2007 saw the worst violence against women generally, and specially against the women leaders of
repute. Instances of rape and killings rose to an alarming level. A provincial minister from Punjab,
Ms. Zille Huma was the victim of insane target killing, and a federal minister Nilofer Bakhtiar was
dropped from the cabinet as ordained by a certain section of the society. The Jamia Hafsa issue and
the incidents that followed harassed and victimized the women in Pakistan. By the end of the year
these disturbing circumstances culminated in the broad day light murder of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,
the twice elected former Prime Minister of Pakistan, as she was leaving after addressing an election
campaign meeting in Rawalpindi. Such was the climate of insecurity and fear that NCSW could not
materialize its plans and programmes.