Speakers at a seminar said that the women were not the only victims of domestic violence but children and other vulnerable people were also facing the same type of violence. This was asserted by former MNA Mehnaz Rafi, Salman Abid from SPO, Akbar Dogar High Court Bar Association Secretary, Hina Hafeez Ullah Ishaq, Bushra Khaliq from WISE, Ambreen from Action Aid, Senior Programme Officer Mumtaz Mughal and Programme Officer Shamaila Tanvir while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday. The press conference was organised by Aurat Foundation in connection with International Women’s Day under Legislative Watch Programme for Women Empowerment. The speakers called upon the government to move a draft bill called Punjab Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2012, in its current session of Punjab Assembly in order to provide support and protection to the victims. The speakers said that the proposed bill should be moved in the current session of the Punjab Assembly and ensure its early passage and effective implementation as a law. They said that this domestic violence bill should be incorporated in the “empower women package’ which was going to be announced by Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif on the eve of International Women’s Day.
