ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly Standing Committee on Women Development Saturday unanimously passed the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill, 2010, a private member bill presented by PML-Q MNA Marvi Memon. The bill proposes life imprisonment for acid throwers and a fine of Rs 1 million liable to be paid to the aggrieved.
Under the law, the government would constitute a monitoring board which would take initiatives for punitive actions to decrease the acid throwing offence besides raising public awareness and social mobilisation over the issue. The bill is likely to be tabled in the national Assembly session on next Tuesday.
The committee met here at the Parliament House with Bushra Gohar in the chair while other MNAs who participated included Marvi Memon, Qudsia Arshad, Fouzia Ejaz Khan, Nisar Tanveer and Shaheen Ishfaq besides other officials from Ministry of Women Development, Ministry of Law & Justice.
The bill aims at amending various acts and codes in relation to protection against acid crimes, and rehabilitation of and compensation for victims of acid crimes. The bill calls for insertion of new sections 336A and 336B in the Act XLV of year 1860.
In the said Code, after section 336, new Sections 336A and 336B shall be inserted so that the court may, at any stage of the trial on an application by the aggrieved person, direct the accused to pay monetary relief to aggrieved person so she could meet the expenses incurred and losses suffered.
Under the new bill, a pharmaceutical chemist is authorized to manufacture, have in his possession, and to use, supply or sell at his pharmacy in the ordinary course of his retail business any preparation, admixture or extract containing any poison; while a medical practitioner or veterinary surgeon is authorized to have in his possession and to use, supply or sell in the lawful practice of his profession any poison; and any dentist is authorized to have in his possession and to use in the lawful practice of his profession any poison.
Marvi Memon told Pakistan Today that the main cause of it is the absence of proper legislation on this subject. Moreover, she said, there was no law to regulate the manufacturing and supply of acids, resultantly, any person hay easy access to them. She said the criminal minded people are constantly using it as a dangerous and devastating arm against the women.
