Domestic violence bill presented in NA

Islamabad :: The bill on Domestic Violence (Protection and Prevention) Bill 202 prepared by Ministry of Human Rughts has been presented in National Assembly of Pakistan on Wednesday.

The purpose of introducing this Bill is to protect the rights of women, children, elders and other vulnerable persons who are victims of domestic violence. Such violence includes physically aggressive acts like hitting, kicking, slapping, and throwing objects as well as emotionally abusive acts like threats, emotional and economic abuse.

Provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan have already enacted legislation to address the issue of domestic violence at provincial levels. Ministry of Human Rights has drafted a Bill to protect rights at the federal level.

The Bill aims to establish an effective system of protection, relief and rehabilitation of women, children, elders and other vulnerable persons against domestic violence in the territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad Capital Territory. It will provide relief to victims of domestic violence who are in domestic relationship and are related to each other by consanguinity, marriage and kinship etc.

The Bill also empowers courts to grant interim orders, protection custody and residence orders as well as award monetary relief to victims of violence at the expense of respondent. The Bill also envisages the creation of a Protection Committee to assist the aggrieved person and process his/her application in court. Ministry of Human Rights arranged number of consultations with the relevant stakeholders and also obtained No Objection Certificate from Ministry of Interior being relevant Ministry to deal with issue of violence.

Round of consultations were also held with Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Minister for Science and Technology, Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar, State Minister for Interior/Special Assistant to PM (SAPM) and Faroogh Naseem, Minister for Law and Justice to finalize the Bill.