A landmark bill meant for prevention of centuries-old anti-women practices in the country could not be passed due to opposition from the treasury benches at the last moment after four of its five clauses were passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The bill aims at prohibiting certain acts like depriving women of inheriting property, forced marriages, marriage with the Holy Quran and allowing dissolution of marriage in absence of husband undergoing procedure of lian as all such acts have been major causes for the exploitation and discrimination against the women. The mover of the bill, Dr Donya Aziz, read out all the five clauses pertaining to sentences for violating the rights of women for approval of the House as some members had raised objections to those clauses.
The bill sought sentences ranging between three to 10 years, but not less than three years in any case, imprisonments for violating various rights of or committing crimes, described above, against women. PML-N MNA Naseer Bhutta said the House should not advise the court on minimum sentences and the matter should be left to the discretion of the court. Donya and MQM’s SA Qadri opposed Bhutta’s suggestion, saying the minimum sentence should remain part of the bill as it would act as deterrence against anti-women crimes or violation of their rights. However, Justice (r) Fakhurnnisa Khokhar said the constitution had given certain rights to the president and it would be a violation of the constitution if those clauses were passed in the current form in contradiction of the powers of the president. She said parliamentarians usually criticised the judiciary for its intervention and the judiciary had the right to intervene if such laws were made in the country. Four clauses had been passed and the fifth was being discussed, when PPP MNA Shah Mehmood Qureshi stood up and said it was extremely sensitive and an important bill and no one knew what was being discussed as no copies of the bill had been provided to the members.
A number of PPP and PML-N members also stood up and started saying the House was being run in an objectionable and non-serious manner. Nadeem Afzal Chan, who was in the chair, realising the opposition and strong criticism of the members, deferred the bill. Meanwhile, a motion was adopted for forming the committee to oversee the implementation of the resolution passed by the All Parties Conference (APC). The chairman said all parties should submit the names of their members for the committee.
Pro-women bill deferred at the last moment
