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Date: 18th January 2006
The bill on domestic violence against women will provide legal mechanism for protection of victims of domestic violence and safeguarding their constitutional rights
Islamabad. The Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) has submitted a bill on domestic violence against women in the National Assembly on 17th January 2005 with the signature of member National Assembly and Director PCHR Ms. Mehnaz Raffi and Chairman Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) Mr. Riaz Fatyana MNA. This was stated by Chief Coordinator PCHR Mr. Shafique Chaudhry. Ms. Mehnaz Raffi MNA said that in spite of constitutional guarantee for the protection of women rights, Pakistan lacks any legal mechanism dealing with the cases of domestic violence against women and due to invisible nature of the cases of such type, the crimes could not be dealt with effectively as well as legally. If bill is passed and gains the status of law, it will be greatly helpful in reducing and curbing the growing crimes of domestic violence against women. She added that the proposed bill provides not only punishment for the crime but imprisonment to the offender as well, and that the offender will be responsible to compensate the victim financially in term of medical expenses, loss arising out of destruction, and damage or removal of any property of the victim. She maintained that the offender of domestic violence has been made legally bound to ensure maintenance of the children of the person aggrieved.
Chairman PCHR Mr. Riaz Fatyana MNA said that under the proposed bill will provide comprehensive mechanism to curb the cases of domestic violence against women. Apart from police and court, we have also ensured involvement of representative of local government, and public safety commission for the mechanism constituted for dealing with such cases. Giving brief sketch of the bill, Mr. Chairman maintained that it provides constitution of protection team comprising of the two Police Officers, one male and second female of at least ASI rank, Lady Councilor from the Union Council and one member from Public Safety Commission. Similarly, there will be Family Conciliatory Committee consisting of five members from amongst the union council so as to investigate the cases of domestic violence against women.
Chief Coordinator PCHR Mr. Shafique Chaudhry said that proposed bill is comprehensive in all respects because the issues which commonly happen in our society have been covered. They include forced marriage, any physical injury, sexual harassment in workplace and emotional abuses etc. He added that due to involvement of local government representatives in the investigation for the crimes such nature, the chances of false and forged investigation have been eliminated.
Both Chairman PCHR Mr. Riaz Fatyana MNA and Ms. Mehnaz Raffi MNA called the submission of bill an urgent need of the time in Pakistan. They appealed all the parliamentarians to stand united and help in smooth passage of the bill for its enactment in order to ensure the protection and promotion of women rights in the country. They also said that the enactment of the bill on domestic violence against women will improve the image of Pakistan in the world in general and the West in particular.
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