ISLAMABAD: Amidst opposition’s protest, the Senate on Thursday nodded its approval to the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2025, which provides a way to address and “significantly reduce” domestic violence in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as the bill calls for establishing a legal framework.
Already passed by the National Assembly, the legislative draft was passed by the Senate on the maiden day of its 356th session.
The sitting was presided over mainly by the Chairman of the Senate, Yousaf Raza Gilani, who later assigned Shahadat Awan from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to preside over the remaining session.
PPP Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman presented the said bill that received support from the treasury side, but certain opposition lawmakers rejected the bill.
Protesting against this bill, Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, the Parliamentary Leader of JamiatUlema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) in the Senate, was of the view that this bill is against the Islamic injunctions and the constitution.
“Read this bill first, it is not against Islamic junctions,” Rehman responded.
All other provinces, except Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have passed this bill, she said.
“The PPP is proud to be behind this bill that was originally moved some 15 years ago,” Senator Rehman said.
Law Minister Azam Tarar stepped in to defend the PPP legislator. “The provinces have already passed this bill. The same law is now being extended to the Islamabad Capital Territory. You are opposing this bill without reading it,” he addressed the opposition side. The bill was finally passed by the House.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2025, reads that the purpose of this bill is to address and significantly reduce domestic violence in the ICT by establishing a comprehensive legal framework that ensures the protection, support, and safety of victims.
This legislation aims to define domestic violence, outline preventive measures, and provide accessible legal recourse and support systems for those affected, reads the statement.
“The law will also hold perpetrators accountable for their actions and work toward the elimination of domestic violence in all its forms, including physical, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse, within the ICT,” it adds.
Earlier, to a question posed by Kamil Ali Agha from Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) in the Senate question hour, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said, the government was compelled to increase the diesel price, keeping in view that the diesel price reached $92 per barrel in the international market.
No additional tax has been imposed on petroleum products, he said, adding that a 2.5 rupee per litre climate support levy is being charged under the Resilient Facility of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Moreover, in response to a question posed by Jan Muhammad from the National Party (NP), Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said thatRs18 per unit is the cost of electricity imported from Iran.
Responding to a calling attention notice, also moved by Jan, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb denied that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) issued any specific instruction to the commercial banks to block any former or sitting parliamentarian’s account. The SBP has appointed a focal person to deal with any issue involving blocking/unblocking of a lawmaker’s account, he said, adding that the SBP has also directed the commercial banks to appoint focal persons to resolve the matters faced by the parliamentarians regarding their bank accounts.
Power Minister Awais Leghari said a system has been launched countrywide to address customers’ grievances related to the power sector. In this regard, 600 seats have been set up across the country under the 118 call centre service, Leghari added. This service, the minister claimed, is better than the emergency services of 15 and 1122. The session was adjourned till Friday (today).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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