After the screening of "Shame" Shahid Riaz, President of Pak-German Council for Culture and Democracy took questions from the audience about the film and shared his opinion and experience about the status of women in Pakistan. He said that the case of Mukhtaran Mai had triggered a discussion about the Rights of Women in Pakistani Parliament in particular and in the whole society in general. The case has also encouraged many women to fight back for their rights and led to widespread awareness among women all over the country. The whole discussion in the society produced a very positive outcome “Women Protection Act”, a bill passed by the Parliament in 2006 to provide women more Protection in the men dominated society.

Shahid Riaz said that with the implementation of “Women Protection Act” the situation of women has improved and the Role of women in Pakistani society is increasing day by day though its speed is still very slow. In many parts of the country now a days the numbers of school going girls are higher than the numbers of school going boys which can be considered as a revolutionary change for this particular nation. In some parts of the country still there are almost no school either for girls or for boys. Another improvement which is worth to mention here is that there are 22% women in Pakistani Parliament while this ratio in Germany is only 20%. For many women right activists it is not easy to consider these female Parliamentarians as real representatives of the Pakistani women, they hardly voice out against the laws, discriminating women but most of the time these parliamentarians are indulged in their respective party agenda. Even though these female parliamentarians represent most of the time interests of their fathers, husbands and uncles in the parliament, it is still a big step forward for the Pakistani society.

Shahid Riaz further said that due to plural legal-system there are still big loopholes in the criminal and civil laws, which are not only discriminative against the women but have most of the time brutal results and consequences for the women in Pakistan. He gave example that in (Pakistani Legal-System) murder cases it is not only the state which s complainant but also the legal heirs of the victim and therefore legal heirs can pardon the accused murderer if they wish to do so. In Pakistan 90% of women are killed by their own families while men are killed by the enemies. If the family has suspension that their woman (it can be daughter, wife or sister) has out of marriage sexual relation with a man. The family can very easily conspire the murder of that accused woman because the same family will pardon the murderer later on anyway. If the brother has killed the sister then father of the woman (sister) will be complainant, at the same time he is also the father of the murderer (brother) so it is obivious from very beginning (in Pakistan) that father will pardon his son. This scenario is practiced on daily basis with different combinations. The most shameful and unfortunate notion is this that in rural and urban working class such murder conspiracies against women are praised as an attempt to regain the family honour.

Shahid Riaz said said that this moment Pakistan is facing many different kind of problem, it is fighting a war for its own very survival, there is a wave of violence, terrorism and extremism therefore this situation does not provide suitable circumstances for a constructive discussion for the improvement of the women status in the society. Having mentioned the current difficulties there are many women and men particularly women in Pakistan who are standing firm for the rights of women in these violent times. I have great respect for these women rights activists. To improve the situation and status of women in Pakistan, the core remedies are education and financial independence because the suppression of women by men is only easy because most of the time women are not aware of their own rights. The help and support (Projects) of international community in the field of education and development is not only needed but very essential. I am very optimistic in next 10 to 20 years situation in Pakistan will improve and change in the favour of women and minorities.