Pakistan province to launch female-only bus service to end harassment

Pakistan's most populous city is set to launch a female-only bus service from next week, officials said on Friday, in what is hailed by activists as a step to fight harassment of women in a patriarchal society.

At least 10 buses painted in pink will start plying in the city of Karachi from February 1 to transport working women and girl students, said Fida Hussain Baladee, spokesman for the regional government.

The initiative is aimed at curtailing the growing incidents of harassment of women in the public transport, Baladee told dpa.

A metropolis of more than 20 million people, Karachi is Pakistan's most populous and volatile city, where crimes against women or are common.

Except for a male driver, the entire staff on the buses and at terminals would be female, Baladee said about the project, which is the first of its kind in Pakistan.

The government in the province of Sindh plans to enhance the number of buses and expand the project to the entire city in future, the spokesman added.

"This will go long way in Pakistan's journey of empowering women," actors and rights activist Iffat Omar said on television.

"This is definitely an encouraging step and will help women feel safe while they travel to offices and schools," said Asifa Khan, who has been commuting in Karachi daily for years as student.

Thousands of young women are forced to discontinue their studies and quit their jobs by their conservative parents just because there is no decent transport service, said Khan.