Senate Committee concerns on 10201 cases of domestic violence against women in Punjab in 2023

ISLAMABAD, August 28 (SABAH): The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, convened today at the Parliament House.

The meeting began with a discussion on the Bill titled “The National Commission on the Rights of Child (Amendment) Bill, 2023.” Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy emphasized the necessity of inspecting and monitoring children’s activities across various sectors and stressed that safeguarding children’s rights is a shared objective among the committee members. The Federal Minister for Law, Justice, and Human Rights, (MoHR) Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, discussed the need to refine the language of the legislation.

The Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC), Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, highlighted that significant progress has been made, particularly in compiling data and collaborating with relevant authorities to ensure the provision of necessary information. She also mentioned the coordination with Meta International and the launch of an app called “Take It Down,” designed specifically for children under 18 years of age. “Take It Down” is a free service aimed at obstructing obscene content. Senator Tarar emphasized that obscene content would be removed within an hour and that the source of the content would be blocked. He further added that young people over 18 would also be able to use the app in its second phase. Moreover, the committee members unanimously agreed to re-nominate Senator Liaqat Khan Tarakai as a member of the Senior Citizens Council.

Chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, while commending the “Take It Down” app initiative, stressed that children are our future asset and that many of them do not know how to protect themselves, with their parents often being unaware of such issues. The committee members had an extensive discussion on the sharing of data from the provinces per the 18th Amendment. Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri clarified that the 18th Amendment does not prohibit the sharing of data from the provinces. She also emphasized that provincial authorities often take these matters lightly, leading to inconsistencies in the data reported. She lamented that such negligence is a crime against humanity.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Chairperson Committee, expressed her serious concerns on the rising number of crimes against women and children in Punjab and KPK. Through the documents shared by Punjab Police, it was revealed that more than 10, 201 cases of domestic violence against women in Punjab were unearthed only in 2023 in Punjab. According to the documents submitted by KPK Police, the conviction rate in cases of crimes and women and children was only 2-5 percent. The Chairperson held extensive discussion with the prosecution and police authorities of the respective provinces in order to come up with proposals to uproot the lacunas in their respective investigation and prosecution procedures. She expressed her serious reservations on the lack of seriousness of the concerned departments in preparing an updated date of all these cases.

In addition, the DIG Investigation Monitoring Punjab presented data on sexual abuse, murder, rape, acid attacks, and domestic violence from January 2021 to 2024. The Chair, along with other committee members, noted a lack of clarity in the data presented. Senator Samina also emphasized the importance of this issue, pointing out inconsistencies in the data shared with the committee. She voiced concerns about the numerous cases that have yet to see justice. Referring to the case of a minor who was abused on August 22, 2024, within the premises of Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, she highlighted that authorities often claim domestic violence is outside their jurisdiction when an FIR is filed. She stressed that every case should be treated as a priority, lamenting the ongoing pattern of one incident after another where the culprits remain unpunished.

Senator Samina further remarked that we will all be held accountable for the heinous crimes occurring one after another. She cited the brutal murder of two sisters in Gujrat, who were assaulted for refusing forced marriage. She also listed cases of acid attacks, a missing four-year-old girl, alleged rape, and a tragic incident where a father had to witness the murder of his daughter, condemning these as a disgrace to humanity. She emphasized that the prosecution often ends up defending the criminals. Senator Tarar, acknowledging the Chairperson’s comments, added that the entire system needs a thorough overhaul.

The Chair also stressed the need for accurate facts and figures and urged for action rather than mere presentations. She warned that negligence could lead to a society where killing becomes a trend and sexual abuse is normalized. She also criticized the increasing prevalence of forced marriages for unjustifiable reasons.

The committee members also discussed in detail the alleged murder case of Sania Zehra, who was subjected to brutal domestic violence in Multan on May 9, 2024. The concerned officials provided details based on forensic evidence and apprised the committee members on the status of ongoing progress on the cases.

In attendance were Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Senator Syed Ali Zafar, Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Senator Poonjo Bheel, Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, the Federal Minister for Law, Justice, and Human Rights, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, the Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, the Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of Child, Ayesha Raza, and senior officials from the concerned departments.