PESHAWAR, Sept 21: The women rights activists and legislators have agreed on draft of Domestic Violence Bill-2011, which will be tabled soon in the provincial assembly to criminalise the abuses which a woman, child or any vulnerable person faces in a domestic relationship.

In this connection, Aurat Foundation in collaboration with National Commission on the Status of Women held a consultation on the draft of Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act-2011 here on Wednesday.

Women MPAs from all political parties, provincial assembly Speaker Karamatullah Chagharmati, representatives of non-governmental organisations, provincial commission on the status of women and lawyers took part in the discussion.

They agreed that domestic violence bill should be tabled in the assembly and each woman MPA should lobby in the house to get it passed.

Shabina Ayaz said that Aurat Foundation was collecting data of violence against women for the last three years. In most of the cases the accused were usually close relatives of the victims, she said. “Domestic violence is a reality and a problem which is affecting women mostly,” she said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Domestic Violence Bill-2009 was passed by the National Assembly but got stuck in the Senate and eventually lapsed.

The male senators objected to the bill as they were of the view that women were not the only victims and men also faced domestic violence. In the new draft 'aggrieved person' is defined as any woman, child, or any vulnerable person who is or has been in a domestic relationship with the accused.

Maliha Zia, a lawyer, gave a detailed presentation to explain the offenses and the proposed penalties.

The new draft proposes that family courts having the power of first class magistrate and the judge shall have all the powers of such magistrate under the Criminal Procedure Code and may convict and sentence the accused.

She said that the draft of the proposed law covered almost all the acts of violence a woman faced at domestic level including assault, attempt to commit offense, criminal force, intimidation, wrongful confinement, hurt, mischief, trespass or forced entry into aggrieved person's residence, harassment, physical abuse, stalking, sexual, emotional, psychological and verbal abuse, willful or negligent abandonment and economic abuse.

Anees Haroon, chairperson of NCSW, said that two women were abused per hour in Pakistan. Human rights were violated and it was responsibility of the state to protect its citizens.

Zubaid Khatoon, chairperson of provincial commission on the status of women, said that she hoped the draft would passed by provincial assembly. She said it could be key to solution to many problems faced by women in everyday life.

Saima Munir, programme coordinator of AF, said that earlier when a woman complained of domestic violence her in-laws, parents and even police did not took her complain seriously as they termed it a 'domestic or personal' matter of the family. The proposed law if passed and enacted could help women take a legal action against the accused, she added.

Provincial Minister for Women Development Sitara Ayaz said that hopefully the draft after review could be tabled in the provincial assembly in the next session. She said that she along with women MPAs would lobby to get it passed in the house.

MPA Nighat Orakzai of PML-Q assured the participants that her party would support the bill. However, some of the MPAs keeping in view their experience in the provincial assembly regarding issues related to women seemed unsure whether the bill would get passed into a law.

Mr Chagharmati, who was chief guest on the occasion, also suggested review of the draft by law reforms committee before presenting it in the assembly.