KEY POINTS
- Senate clears Pakistan’s most comprehensive Domestic Violence Prevention Bill, extending protections to all vulnerable groups.
- Legislation defines physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse with clear, expanded benchmarks for prosecution.
- Bill introduces penalties up to one year imprisonment and fines up to Rs100,000 for abusers and abettors.
- Senator Sherry Rehman urges urgent structural reforms as conviction rates for GBV remain below 1%.
ISLAMABAD: The upper house of Pakistan’s Parliament (Senate) on Thursday passed the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2025, marking a major legislative milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to combat gender-based violence.
Tabled by Senator Sherry Rehman and earlier approved by the National Assembly through PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui, the bill introduces Pakistan’s most comprehensive legal framework to date for the protection of individuals vulnerable within domestic settings.
Also Read: Pakistan National Assembly Passes Long-Awaited Domestic Violence Bill 2025
Senator Rehman termed the legislation a “lifeline for survivors across Pakistan,” stressing that domestic violence is “a public emergency, not a private matter.”
The passage of the bill comes against the backdrop of alarming national statistics: 32,617 gender-based violence cases in 2024, including 2,238 cases of domestic violence, yet conviction rates remain as low as 1.3%.
Clear, Expanded Legal Definitions
A core strength of the bill lies in its expansive and explicit definitions of domestic violence. It extends legal protection to women, men, transgender persons, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, recognising abuse in multiple forms:
Physical Abuse:
– Aligned with the Pakistan Penal Code.
Emotional & Psychological Abuse:
– Repeated obsessive jealousy
– Invasion of privacy
– Insults, ridicule, or verbal humiliation
– Threats of physical harm
– Threats of divorce or second marriage
– False allegations of insanity or infertility
– Willful or negligent abandonment
– Stalking and harassment
– Forcing a wife to cohabit with someone other than her husband
Sexual Abuse:
– Any sexual act that humiliates, degrades, or violates dignity.
Economic Abuse:
– Intentional deprivation or restriction of access to financial resources.
The bill also ensures that survivors have the right to remain in their homes irrespective of ownership, or seek refuge through a registered service provider offering legal, medical, or financial support.
Penalties and Enforcement Mechanisms
Where the Pakistan Penal Code does not already criminalise an abusive act, the bill prescribes:
– 6 months to 1 year imprisonment
– Fine of Rs100,000, with a minimum of Rs20,000 directly paid to the survivor
– Same penalties for anyone who aids or abets domestic violence
Senator Rehman emphasised that the provisions are designed to ensure the law is “not just on paper, but a tool for real accountability and justice.”
Context of Low Conviction Rates
During the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, Senator Rehman presented a stark picture of systemic failures:
– GBV cases reported in 2024: 32,617
– Rape: 5,339
– Kidnapping/abduction: 24,439
– Honour killings: 547
– Conviction rates: rape 0.5%, kidnapping 0.1%, honour killings 0.5%
Despite 480 specialised GBV courts, she said, investigations often collapse, evidence is mishandled, and survivors face retraumatisation.
“Every day in Pakistan, 67 kidnappings, 19 rapes, 6 domestic violence cases, and 2 honour killings are reported, yet survivors overwhelmingly see no justice.”
Call for Structural Reform
Senator Rehman stressed that passing the bill is only the beginning.
She called for:
– Police sensitisation
– Judicial training
– Witness protection
– Strong monitoring mechanisms
– Timely medico-legal support
– Effective prosecution
“Pakistan, as a signatory to CEDAW, has a moral and legal duty to protect survivors,” she said. “Without structural reforms, even the strongest law cannot be enforced.”
