‘Domestic violence bill to be passed soon’

K-P law minister says it is the moral and legal obligation of the government to provide basic human rights to all

PESHAWAR: The provincial law and human rights minister on Wednesday vowed that a new law to help curb domestic violence is pending before the provincial assembly and with the ruling party enjoying a majority, the bill is expected to pass soon.

This was stated by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Law Minister Sultan Mohammad Khan on Wednesday while addressing a consultation workshop on the provincial human rights action plan. The workshop had been organised by Democracy Reporting International in Peshawar on Wednesday.

Sultan said that the federal and the provincial governments, where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) holds sway, have been making serious efforts to put out requisite legislation on human rights apart from ensuring their implementation.

“It is the moral and legal obligation of the government to provide basic human rights to all segments of society,” said the minister.

He pointed to how the provincial government has already approved the women property rights law apart from empowering the provincial woman ombudsperson to ensure the implementation of the law.

The minister further said that a law on domestic violence will be approved by the provincial assembly soon. Moreover, he said that a toll-free helpline for registering human rights violations has also been set up to ensure easy access to the weaker sections of society.

Other laws about human rights are under discussion and are expected to be presented in the assembly soon. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2019.