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LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed the long-awaited Protection of Women against violence Bill 2015 which contains remedies for victims of violence, criminalise all forms of violence against women and also provides them with special centers which remove the usual red tape hurdles that complicate a woman’s quest for justice.
‘Violence’ itself has been redefined to mean any offence committed against the human body of the aggrieved person including abetment of an offence, domestic violence, sexual violence, psychological and emotional abuse, economic abuse, stalking and cyber crime.
A toll-free universal access number (UAN) will be started to receive complaints while district protection committee will be established to investigate complaints filed by women.
Centres will also be set up for reconciliation and resolution of disputes.
Protection Officers will be liable to inform the defendant whenever a complaint is received. Offering resistance to Protection Officers will be punishable by upto six months imprisonment and a fine of upto Rs500,000.
Once a complaint is received its will be updated into a database which will soon be set up.
Filing a false complaint or levelling false accusations can be pushable by upto three months in jail and or a fine of between Rs50,000 to Rs100,000.
The law will not allow an aggrieved women to be forced out of her house. The defendant can be made to leave the house for two days, according to the law.
Darul Aman and protections centres will be setup according to the passed law.
Shelter homes will be built for the protection of aggrieved women, which will provide boarding and lodging facilities to the victim and children (if any).
The defendant will be liable to bear all the expenses of the complainant women in case the court orders for it.
If the defendant refuses to pay cash then the court can order for the payment to be deducted from the their salary if applicable.
Defendants can be cuffed with GPS tracking bracelets if ordered by the Court. Those attempting to remove or tamper with the tracking bracelets will be jailed for upto one year and fined between Rs50,000 to Rs200,000.
Defendants will not be allowed to apply for an arms license or procure weapons whereas weapons already registered in their name will have to be submitted in court.
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Comments (44) Closed
Husband's be carefull now !!
Time is gone my dears , of might is Right ?
indeed a great move but it can only be eliminated by empowering the women not the rich ones but the poor women in our society and country...
Excellent move.
Pakistan has already laws, a new law will not make a much difference UNLESS there is a conviction to impose the law fair and impartial. A poor is being picked up without FIR, arrest warrant etc BUT political and riches are invited on TV for debates despite non bailable arrest warrants not just a complaint.
Good efforts however implementation is key.
There are laws already in place protecting women....but lack of will for implementation.
Sweet talk, signifying nothing!
I'm proud of punjab government, this is a great step and other provinces should follow it.
A bill should be pass for corrupt police in punjab too who refused to file fir for women.
it is also necessary to guide the people who try to support under the table to guilty people as they just acknowledge law but fail to imply on that law.
New bills and laws are passed every second day but thr should be focus on implementation too. Without implementation all these efforts are wasted!
good move..
Along with these laws a 'massive' awareness campaign needs to be launched. Even educated aren't aware of their constitutional rights. Most of the affectees of domestic / gender based violence have underprivileged backgrounds and may not even be aware that the constitution guarantees their protection from all forms of violence.
No mention of how rape cases will be dealt?
@khanm .... What about empowering the police in rural communities?
This is a horrible law someone must take it to the court.
And what if women do the same with men?
According to the research in every 37 seconds a man is being the victim of abuse and many men are too embarrassed to admin that they are being abused by a women.
Just search internet and you will find a lot videos where a wife is beating her husband specially in south Asia. The law should be equal for both genders. In fact we have to implement the islamic law so men can have more marriages (if they can afford) that will help in sexual abuse.
I am still in favour of this law ... But there will be very little effect in rural areas ... It would be better if govt. also make small colony based women organisations to address these domestic issue otherwise most of women will be afraid or feel that it will destroy their family image.
Passing bills is one thing and enforcing is the other. So the big question is who is going to enforce the law? NOBODY because the lawmakers are the violators.
Who will implement it ? Punjab Police ??? Oh come on ! Same old story !
Will it punish the killers of the women killed in Model Town massacre as well ?????
Nice to see such a positive step. No nation can move forward unless we take care of our women and children.
And will the same be done if women are the perpetrators?
In Pakistan women are not enough confident and raised with self confidence. They highly lack to decide for themselves. The missing part is decision power in women. If women parents are rich and influential they will always manipulate her. Such situations become the power exercise and egos of two families. Same son in law becomes rival, enemy for girls family. Mostly she chose her beating husband again. She becomes shuttlecock because she cannot decide for herself. A lot of work on the mind set is needed through media in Urban cities. This legislation is enough for family breakups,misunderstandings and less chances for the same couple to spend and restart their life again. Husband who will be chained with GPS tracking bracelets will it be supportive for future relation of husband and wife??? No , never !! This relation will be a burden.
@naveed exactly! ! Im just reading the comments, no one is noticing how horrible is this law !! And where would this take our society!
@sidra i totally second your thoughts!
But dear dont you see anything wrong with this law? :/
Why not pass a gender-neutral law?
Of course, no feminist would cry foul when something is so clearly biased against men. Equality only applies when it suits women, right?
@Rizwan Whereas wives can continue to abuse. What a discriminatory law.
@dr shehzad Bad move. It does not protect male victims. This is discrimination.
@Thought Exactly.
@sidra This bill is discriminatory as long as it does not offer the same level of protection of male victims.
@Omar But why only women? Men are abused too!
@Jawad What about men?
@Mrs. Phannay Khan These laws must also be amended to they are 100% gender neutral.
These laws must also be made 100% gender neutral BEFORE they are implemented.
@MindShare Discriminatory move.
@aslam shaikh No, unless the man is a minor, old or disabled. Ik, compeltely discriminatory. Just like so many Pakistani laws.
@Zeeshan Atleast someone gets it.
@South That will not be under the jurisidiction of this particucar law. Also it was not a genocide but several murders. Genocide occurs with the motive to wipe out an entire race or their culture/heirtage. It would be dealt with uner the laws of murder and/or armed assault
An accused is also guilty unless proven innocent. "On receipt of the complaint, the Court shall issue a notice to the defendant calling upon him to show cause within seven days of the receipt of notice as to why any order under this Act may not be made and if the defendant fails to file a reply within the specified time, the Court, subject to service of the notice on the defendant, shall assume that the defendant has no plausible defense and proceed to pass any order under this Act"
@sidra If relationship has violence, then it can be controlled by this. Because if husband hate her wife, then he should leave her instead of beating, abusing and mentally making her slave. Marriage is the name of respect from both sides. If husband beat his wife, he is just rapping her in nights and disrespecting her in days. So, husbands should leave her with dignity instead of abusing her.
@Umer it is not horrible until men stop making women life horrible!
I want to suggest Pak Govt to modify matters of Talaq too. If husband utters three times from his mouth or by using any media (SMS, Email etc.) he should be punished. Because if he really want to divorce his wife, he should go for legal way. He should fo to court to file divorce. Reason for punishment is to stop him doing Zina. Husband like this says three times, but after 1 or 2 day came back and says it wasn't intentional. So process of religious sects difference of opinion start to apply to undo his mistake.