Advocate Mehwish Muhib Kakakhel filed a petition with the Peshawar High Court protesting the delay in establishing district protection committees (DPCs) and notifying the rules of operation for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Domestic Violence against Women (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2021.
The petitioner, asked the court to declare the defendants’ act, including the province government’s failure to notify the DPCs, illegal and in violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
The petitioner pleaded the court to issue orders directing the government to take immediate and decisive action for the welfare and safety of women by informing DPCs and informing business practises in accordance with the Act.
The statute against domestic abuse required the government to establish district protection committees.
The petitioner claimed that whereas Section 6 of the Act detailed the powers and responsibilities of the aforementioned committees, Section 4 of the Act specified the composition of the DPCs. However, she claimed that because the DPCs, which were required to be established shortly after the bill’s introduction under its section 4, had not yet been notified, the women who experienced domestic abuse could not receive any redress under this law.
According to her, the Act was passed so that victims of domestic violence could submit complaints to have their problems resolved and receive assistance from DPCs for medical and legal evaluations, legal representation, and, if necessary, psychiatric help.
She claimed that domestic violence was punished for the first time in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in an effort to eradicate this evil from society, but regrettably because to the lack of committees, victims of domestic violence were unable to report their abuse and receive benefits and relief under this Act.
Ms. Kakakhel said that because the norms of conduct had not yet been announced, it was unclear how a victim might lodge a complaint. Further, she contended that, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s report, “State of Human Rights in 2022,” which was based on police data, 1022 domestic violence occurrences were reported in Pakistan in 2022, she claimed.
Reported by:
Sidra Tabassum
Public Relation Director
Written with the reports mentioned in Dawn, and others newspapers.
