Poonch: International Women’s Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm and dignity at the Historic Town Hall, Poonch, by the Haq Insaaf Council, bringing together prominent public representatives, civil society members, and women achievers from across the district. The programme was held under the chairmanship of Advocate Zeshan Syed, Chairman of the Haq Insaaf Council.
The theme of the event was “Challenges of Women in Border Districts: Safety, Education, and Livelihood.”
The programme commenced with the National Anthem, followed by a welcome address by Ikhlaq Mehmood Parray, who highlighted the importance of recognising the contributions and resilience of women in border districts.
The event was attended by distinguished guests including MLA Haveli Ajaz Ahmed Jan, MLA Surankote Ch. Mohd Akram, Additional SP Poonch Mohan Sharma (Shaurya Chakra), former DDC Member Riaz Naaz, Alhaj Syed Zaki Haider (Chairman ACT Trust), Narinder Singh Talwar (COAS Medal recipient), Prof. Shamim Banday, Dr. Nusrat Shah, and Prof. Fateh Mohammad Abbasi.
The programme featured panel discussions focusing on women’s empowerment and the challenges faced by women in border areas. The first panel discussion, hosted by RJ Faieza Tabasum, featured MLA Haveli Ajaz Ahmed Jan and Advocate Zeshan Syed as panellists.
The second panel discussion was hosted by RJ Touseef Ganai, with DDC Chairperson Tazeem Akhter, Additional SP Poonch Mohan Sharma, and DDC Member Riaz Naaz as panellists.
The third panel discussion was hosted by journalist Sharaz Ahmed, with MLA Surankote Ch. Mohd Akram participating as a panellist.
The panellists emphasised the importance of women’s empowerment, safety, education, economic opportunities, and leadership participation, particularly in border districts where women face unique social challenges.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shamim Banday highlighted the importance of education and awareness in strengthening women’s empowerment and building a progressive society.
The programme was gracefully hosted by renowned moderator Pradeep Khanna.
During the event, several women achievers from various fields were felicitated for their outstanding contributions to society in different categories, including Lifetime Achievement Award, Courage Under Conflict, Education Excellence, Youth Leadership, Grassroots Health Worker, and Security.
The awardees included Tazeem Akhter (DDC Chairperson), Anjuman Shaheen (Principal, GHSS Poonch), Dr. Rani Mughal (Principal, GDC Surankote), Prof. Nighat Chowdhary, Taj-un-Nisa Kazmi (Former CDPO), Dr. Shamim Bhatti (Former Chief Medical Officer), Kailash Sharma (Radio/Media), RJ Faieza Tabasum, Er. Falak Hameed, Shamshad Akhter (Self Help Group Leader), PSI Dr. Avinash Rajput, Anjali Sharma (Martyr’s family), Simran Yaqoob (Kurash), Ekta Kapoor (Taekwondo Champion), and Pakiza Irshad (Taekwondo Champion).
The organisers said the event aimed to recognise the courage, leadership, and contributions of women in border districts while encouraging greater participation of women in social leadership and nation-building.
The programme concluded with a felicitation ceremony and interaction with the media.
