This Girl In Karachi Was Denied A Bike License Because Of Her Gender

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Aaleen Athar
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Women on Wheels Bike License Karachi
Women participants of Women on Wheels (WOW) ride their motor-bikes during a rally launching the Women on Wheels campaign in Lahore on January 10, 2016. AFP PHOTO / Arif ALI

A working woman in Karachi recently took to Twitter and shared the details of the ordeal that she faced while seeking a bike license.

Shireen Ferozepurwalla, after completing her training went to the Clifton Branch of the Motor Vehicle Licence Office to get a license for riding a motorbike.

With rates of various transport services surging by the week, the girl had wanted to secure a bike licence so she could easily commute without taxing her pocket too much.

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But she was in for a rude shock when the official at the Licence Office “lost it” and told her to “get out,” for demanding a bike licence.

She then contacted an acquaintance in the Nazimabad Office, Karachi who confirmed that they do not issue bike licenses to women!

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Shireen’s post attracted a lot of eyeballs with many demanding a clarification on whether a law was in fact in place forbidding women from seeking bike licences.

Soon the Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Law & Environment Murtaza Wahab himself had to step in, clarifying that no such restriction was in place and also shared that around 600 girls had already been issued bike licenses under the Women on Wheels (WOW) initiative.

He added that the law allows all citizens to get a license for bike riding and also directed AIG police to ensure that no discrimination took place in the future.

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