Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday congratulated the parliamentarians for the landmark passage of the Women Commission Bill by the Senate and said it would go a long way in fulfiling the promise of the government of empowering and giving the women their due rights. The bill on the National Commission for Women is the sixth women related legislation passed by the Parliament. In a message the Prime Minister said he has always treated the women and the minorities as his own constituency and he remains committed to empower them and to ensure that their due rights are honoured and upheld. Prime Minister Gilani appreciated efforts of all parliamentarians, especially the women legislators, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Human Rights for their valuable support. The legislation will grant long demanded autonomous status to present National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW). Gilani expressed the hope that the passage of the bill would help put an end to the injustices meted out to the women and they would get their real honourable status in the society. The Parliament has approved two bills on sexual harassment in 2010, three in 2011 on acid crime, anti-women practices and women in distress. National Assembly unanimously passed the National Commission for Women Bill, 2011, with certain amendments in its several clauses on January 19. The new law will strengthen the National Commission for Women by giving it financial and administrative autonomy through an independent secretariat. It will also have the authority to investigate and gather information on issues regarding women’s rights and would attain responsibilities to oversee international commitments made by the government on all women issues.