Pakistan has introduced a new domestic violence bill under which those found guilty of beating women or children will be jailed and fined. The bill, approved by the national assembly on August 4, will come into effect after being voted by the Senate and signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardari. It will send those found guilty of violence against women or children behind bars for a minimum of six months in addition to a fine of at least Rs 100,000 rupees (1,205 dollars). The law classifies domestic violence as acts of physical, sexual or mental assault, force, criminal intimidation, harassment, hurt, confinement and deprivation of economic or financial resources. A magistrate will hear a case of domestic violence after its registration and a decision will be announced within 30 days. NGOs claim that violence against women, particularly inside homes, goes unreported in Pakistan.
According to a recently conducted survey by Aurat Foundation, an NGO working for women rights, 160 out of 234 participants complained about domestic violence and verbal abuses by their husbands. “There must be deterrence to bar men from harassing and torturing women both physically and mentally not only at homes, but in offices and public places,” says Ms Khan. “And the approval of this bill is a significant development in this regard,” she contends.