Female MPAs of the ruling religio- Alliance, MMA, in NWFP on Tuesday submitted a bill to provide protection to wearing veil 'Purdah' and dress code for working women in public and private sector offices in the Assembly Secretariat.
The bill named 'The NWFP Prevention of Discrimination on basis of Hijab/ Dress Bill 2007' was submitted with the signatures of six female legislators of the treasury benches, including Shagufta Naz, Zubaida Khatoon, Fouzia Farukh, Nargis Zain, Sabira Shakir, and Aftab Shabir.
The law after the passage from the provincial assembly would be applicable to both the public and the private sector institutions. Under the bill, if any person commits any offence of preventing or rendering a female from appointment, promotion, admission or any other right to which she is eligible and entitled, would be non-cognisable offence. Similarly, inciting or compelling a female to wear a dress, which is not in conformity with the specifications and guidelines enshrined in the Holy Quran and Sunnah would be a non-cognizable, bailable and compoundable offence. An offence under this Act shall be tried summarily and decided within three months.
Whoever commits or abets an offence under this Act shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for term, which may extend to simple imprisonment of one-month or with the fine to the extend of Rs 15,000 or both. An appeal against the order of the judicial magistrate in such cases shall lie to the court of sessions and its order shall be final.