Pakistan refutes Guardian story on women violence

LONDON: The Pakistan High Commission has rebutted a story appearing in a British daily on violence against women and said the country has already passed Acid Crime Prevention bill.

The spokesperson of the High Commission in her letter to the Guardian editor referred to a story by its Islamabad-based correspondent relating to violence against women in Pakistan.

The story appeared in the daily on June 15 as part of report by Owen Bowcott titled "Worst place in the world for women: violence puts Afghanistan at the top of the list."

The spokesperson clarified that National Assembly of Pakistan has unanimously passed "The Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill 2010" on May 11 last month. The bill recommends 14-year to lifetime imprisonment sentence and fines up to Rs.1 million for those who commit the crime.

The purpose of the bill is to control the import, production, transportation, hoarding, sale and use of acid to prevent the misuse of acid and provide legal support to acid and burn victims.

The spokesperson recalled that Pakistan's efforts to prevent this crime have been appreciated by Princess Anne, the Royal patron of Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI).

On the occasion of a fund raising event for ASTI hosted by the Pakistan High Commission this March Princess Royal in her address on the occasion had lauded courage of Government of Pakistan for addressing this socially sensitive issue and taking appropriate measures in this direction.

The spokesperson further stated that in Pakistan Parliament the bill was introduced last year by MNAs Marvi Memon, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh and Advocate Anusha Rehman in a bid to prevent incidents of violence against women.

After much scrutiny, the parliamentary committee on women development had approved the bill further amending the Pakistan Penal Code 1860.

The amendment in Section 336-B states, "Whoever causes hurt by corrosive substance shall be punished with imprisonment for life or imprisonment of either description which shall not be less than fourteen years and a minimum fine of one million rupees.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011