Moved by Dr Attiya Inayatullah, the 35-clause bill provides guidelines for investigation, protection of witnesses, establishment of the acid and burn crime monitoring board and its responsibilities.
The bill stipulates that investigation of acid and burn crimes be completed within 14 days of an FIR being filed and that a trial be conducted within seven days.
In case the investigating officer is found negligent, the bill suggests a punishment of two years, a fine, or both.
The bill reads: “(1) Whoever commits or attempts to commit an offence of acid or burn attack shall: (i) if such act has resulted in the death of any person be punished with death or imprisonment for life; and; (ii) whoever intentionally causes hurt by acid and burn attack shall be punished with death or rigorous imprisonment for life,” reads section 6 of The Acid Throwing and Burn Crime Bill, 2012.
It was jointly introduced by four members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), three members from Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and one member of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), Khushbakht Shujaat.
The bill calling for the death penalty comes on the heels of the recent hanging of a convict in Mianwali jail on November 15, following four years of a de facto moratorium on the death penalty in the country.
On a point of order raised by PPP’s Palwasha Khan, the house observed a minute’s silence for 70-year-old Swedish social worker, Briggette Alemby, who was shot dead in Lahore earlier this month.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 19th, 2012.
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The acid and burn legislation advocated and lobbied for in Pakistan contains a 3 step legislative apparel: 1) Criminal Law Amendment Act 2011 2) Comprehensive Acid and Burn Crime Bill 3) Acid Control Bill. The death penalty clause was initially put in the comprehensive acid and burn crime bill to be proposed as a punishment only when the acid attack resulted in the victim's death, as one had to follow the Pakistani Penal code scheme. However, now that the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2011 (amending HURT) has been passed (step 1), a simple cross reference to this amendment in the comprehensive acid and burn crime billl (step 2) -which means that the maximum proposed punishment is life time imprisonment- is envisaged by parliamentarians to address the issue of acid violence.
This comprehensive bill (step 2) that has just been tabled is however essential as it deals with rehabilitation services which exists nowhere in the law in Pakistan, furthermore, it includes and proposes a funding and monitoring mechanism which is essential for effective law implementation: to implement the law and guarantee access to justice to victims you need a change in mindset, a deterrent effect, along with resources and mechanisms (a methodology). Congratulations to the federal parliamentarians who will surely finalise a human rights oriented content. Valerie Khan Yusufzai, ASF-Pakistan Chairperson
Please pass this Bill.