Islamabad As more than three months have passed since National Assembly approved Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill 2010, the civil society fears that the legislation will face the same fate as Domestic Violence Bill which lapsed because it was not taken up in Senate within due period of time. The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill was passed unanimously by the National Assembly in August 2009 but lapsed after the Senate failed to pass it within the three months stipulated by the constitution. Similarly, the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill 2010 was passed on May 10, 2011 but has not been taken up in the Senate for its approval yet. The concern was expressed in a recently held meeting of EVAW alliance, an alliance of civil society organisations and human right activists. The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill 2010 was introduced last year by MNAs Marvi Memon, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh and Advocate Anusha Rehman in a bid to prevent growing incidents of violence against women. The bill is an amendment in Pakistan Penal Code 1860. It increases the punishment of offenders up to life imprisonment and makes it mandatory for the offender to pay a fine of Rs1 million to the victim. The amendment in Section 336-B states, “Whoever causes hurt by corrosive substance shall be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment of either description which shall not be less than fourteen years and a minimum fine of one million rupees.” The new insertion in Section 336-A states, “Whosoever with intention or knowingly causes or attempts to cause hurt by means of a corrosive substance or any substance which is deleterious to human body when it is swallowed, inhaled, come in contact or received into human body or otherwise shall be said to cause hurt by corrosive substance.” Talking to ‘The News’, legal expert Saadia Mumtaaz said that in past, the procedure was to move pending bills to mediation committee. “The same happened with the Domestic Violence Bill when the Senate failed to pass it within the three months but the situation has been changed after 18th Amendment as all mediation committees were dissolved after the Amendment was implemented,” she added. She said that the bills that were in the legislative process before the 18th Amendment was implemented but relate to provincial affairs would now be passed by the joint session of National Assembly and Senate or such legislation can be taken to the provincial assemblies. “There are around seven more such bills that were in the process when 18th Amendment was passed,” she added. Advocate Anusha Rehman, one of the prime movers of the bill, said that she was not aware of the fact that the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill 2010 could have been lapsed. “I believe that the legislation passed by the National Assembly should get to the Senate in routine process,” she added. She said that she would push for the legislation if it is the case.
