Much-needed legislation

Attacking women with acid, horribly disfiguring them seems like legitimate expression in our society today.

It is a sad comment on the state of our society that the law is often a step behind the myriad forms of brutality with which criminals strike their victims. The recently proposed law that seeks to criminalise disfiguring of women is a step in the right direction and a much-needed legal protection, though the very fact that a need arose for such a law is shameful.

Far too many men, it seems, think that attacking women with acid and horribly disfiguring them is a legitimate expression of whatever grievances they may feel. The law, as it currently stands, does not have a specific provision dealing with this crime and, as such, even the few who do get convicted of the crime often get light sentences.

It is a welcome development that the proposed bill, initiated by Fakhrun Nisa Khokher of the PPP and supported by Marvi Memon of the PML-Q, seems to have broad support across the political spectrum. This is a pleasant turn of events from the embarrassing ruckus in parliament that came about when previous bills concerning women’s rights were proposed, such as the Women’s Protection Bill of 2006. Perhaps our expectations are too low, but we are grateful that our legislators can agree that throwing acid on a woman’s face should be illegal.

The law was not voted on this past week, owing to procedural matters such as the absence of the law minister from the chamber as well as the desire of some members of parliament to further strengthen the law. As it stands, we see nothing wrong with the law and we hope this delay does not translate into the kind of orphaning that many a worthy piece of legislation has had to endure in the past. We hope that the bill becomes law soon and that parliament is able to take up further legislation protecting women’s rights, especially protections against violence, in the coming season.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2011.