APROPOS the news item ‘Gulbahar Bano recovered from illegal detention at her house’ (Oct 24). The news indicated that Ms Bano had been under treatment for mental illness and that there might be some family disputes related to her property and bank accounts.
This writer does not know details of Ms Bano’s situation and so this letter is not a commentary on her situation. However, it should be noted that the Punjab Mental Health Act protects civic and human rights of persons with mental illness.
Under Section 33, any relative of a person with mental illness can submit a written application to the Advocate General of Punjab who may in turn “…direct an inquiry for the purpose of ascertaining whether such a person is mentally disordered and incapable of managing him/herself, his/her property and his/her affairs”.
If persons with mental illness are found unable to manage their affairs owing to their mental state a judge may appoint a suitable person as manager of their property/assets. That manager is accountable to the court regarding the management of the patient’s financial affairs.
I hope parties concerned will pay heed to this Act and use it to protect rights of Ms Bano and any other persons vulnerable to being exploited owing to their mental status.
Rubeena Kidwai
Consultant clinical psychologist
Karachi
Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2018
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