LAHORE, March 16: The Punjab government is introducing a seven-year rigorous imprisonment for committing Vani —- offering and accepting women to settle a dispute.

This was stated by Punjab Chief Minister’s Adviser on Human Rights Rana Ejaz Ahmad Khan here at a news conference at the Civil Secretariat on Sunday.

He said a summary had been sent to the government to make Vani a cognizable offence and award rigorous imprisonment up to seven years to those found committing it. The law would be passed by the provincial assembly in near future, he said.

During the Press conference, he announced steps being adopted to protect human rights in police stations and jails, legal and financial assistance to the poor, women and juvenile prisoners, and implementation of the law banning food on marriages.

He said these steps would be implemented with the help of committees comprising district Nazims, DCOs, lawyers, philanthropists and journalists.

Rana Ejaz said he would raid police stations to detect violation of human rights. Police stations had become torture cells and police were torturing and humiliating people without any let or hindrance.

He said instead of changing its culture with the introduction of a new police law, the police had become more ruthless. There were cases of custodial killing and kidnapping for ransom by the police, he said.

Rana Ejaz said detaining people without any reason and demanding money for their release was kidnapping for ransom which carried a capital punishment.

“We will register cases against those found guilty of this crime or file private writ petitions for the purpose,” he said.

He said under directions from the Lahore High Court chief justice, sessions judges were visiting jails once a month to provide relief to those who could not fight their cases due to any reason. But as this system had not given the desired results, the provincial government would request the high court to double the number of visits.

Rana Ejaz said there were 54,000 prisoners in Punjab jails against the capacity of 17,000 prisoners. Many of them were women, children and those who could not afford to secure their release after paying small amounts of fine outstanding against them.

He said to help such prisoners he had asked district Nazims and DCOs to visit jails. Chambers of commerce and industry had also been approached in every district to pay fines of those who could not arrange them. Lawyers had also been requested to plead the cases of those who could not pay their fees. The government would bear the petty expenditure of such litigation, he said.

Rana Ejaz said steps would also be adopted for the implementation of the ban on extravagance on marriages. The violation of the law by a Kasur family had been confirmed and the government was going to impose the prescribed fine on them, he said.

He said he would inspect Sunday Bazaars to ensure the provision of low-cost but quality items of daily use to the people.