Rallying support: Civil society demand passage of Domestic Violence Bill

Civil society organisations and women senators held a demonstration in support of domestic violence bill to be presented in the Senate on Tuesday.

The protest rally was organised by Insani Huqooq Ittehad, a group of civil society organisations and individuals, said a press release issued by the organisers here on Monday.

The protesters were holding placards and raised slogans in support of the bill. A few senators including Nilofer Bakhtiar, Farhat Abbas, Dr Saeeda Iqbal, Fozia Fakhruzaman, Farah Aqil Shah, Rehana Yahya Baloch and Suraya Ameerud Din met with the demonstrators and assured them that they would mobilise other parliamentarians to support the bill.

The demonstrators thanked the parliamentarians and senators, both male and female, for playing a supportive role in pro-women legislation. “It has been a collective effort on the part of the activists and parliamentarians alike,” said Ghazala, who was present at the rally.

Around 100 people gathered at the gate of the Parliament House. Upon receiving assurances from the senators and parliamentarians about supporting the bill in the Senate the demonstrators dispersed peacefully.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2012.