Day: October 30, 2009

LAHORE: A GUARDIAN court has restrained French national woman Peggy Collin from taking her son Omar Malik out of Pakistan.

The court passed this interim order on the plea of the child’s father, Ashfaq Malik. The court adjourned the case hearing till November 5.

The petitioner pleaded that he was the father of the boy and her mother was likely to take him out of Pakistan.

He stated that the child’s removal from Pakistan would cause him irreparable loss as he would not be able to meet his minor son for indefinite period.

The applicant pointed out that the Lahore High Court while handing over the child’s custody to her mother did not impose any restriction about guardianship of the child.

The LHC on October 26 had handed over nine-year old Omar Malik’s custody to his French national mother Peggy Collin.

At that time, petitioner’s counsel had also expressed his apprehensions about possible escape of Peggy from Pakistan along with the child, however, the judge had declined his plea, saying he could not pass such restraining order in a habeas corpus petition, filed by the child’s mother.

Married girl allowed to go with mother: The District and Sessions Court on Thursday allowed a married girl to go with her mother after getting her recovered from husband’s custody.

The recovery orders were issued by the district and sessions judge on a habeas corpus petition filed by detenue’s mother Hussain Bibi, alleging that her son-in-law Muhammad Ashfaq, a resident of Shadipur, had been keeping her daughter Shabnam forcibly for the last few days.

She further stated in her petition that her daughter was in trouble at her son-in-law’s house because he used to torture her on daily basis without any reason.

The court through notice directed Ashfaq to produce the girl in court. On Thursday’s hearing, Ashfaq produced the girl in court where she stated that she wanted to go with her mother and did not want to live with her husband. Later, the court, in the light of girl’s statement, allowed her to go with mother.
Source: The News
Date:10/30/2009

HYDERABAD: Members of civil society and non-governmental organisations at a session held on Thursday on “sexual harassment and its legal remedies” supported proposed bill of ‘Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace’ and suggested amendment to section 509 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to ensure protection of dignity of women.

The session organised by the Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan was conducted by Dr. Fauzia Saeed, recipient of Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals.

Dr. Fauzia Saeed told participants that women should be confident enough to raise voice if they found anyone staring at them without any reason. “It’s in fact a social issue and it can only be curbed through social control practices,” she said.

She referred to proposed bill of Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace that had been approved by the federal cabinet and concerned standing committees of parliament. It would now be tabled in the National Assembly next month and enough lobbying had already been done to ensure that it the assembly okayed it, she said.

She said that the bill had been drafted after a seven year research by AASHA (Alliance Against Sexual Harassment), an alliance of organisations working against sexual harassment.

She said that the bill would put in place an institutional framework in private organisations so that such issues were effectively handled by the management.

The bill provided for an ombudsperson who could be approached by victim(s).

In private sector, a code of conduct has been devised a three-member probe committee will note its violation.

The law will ensure safeguards for women’s dignity in private sector institutions and provisions for fine of Rs100,000 and termination from service have also been made part of the bill.

Dr. Fauzia Saeed maintained that an amendment to section 509 of PPC had also been proposed so that women could file cases against harassment.

It would be punishable with maximum three years imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs500,000, she added.

She said that the proposed bill’s surgery had been done at different levels and now it would be tabled in the assembly.

“AASHA will see how many parliamentarians support or oppose it in the parliament regardless of their party affiliations because we want to have ownership of this bill,” she said.
Source: Dawn
Date:10/30/2009

LAHORE: Women MPAs of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q submitted a resolution to the Punjab Assembly secretariat on Thursday seeking house’s recommendation for framing rules under the Domestic Violence Act 2009, recently passed by the National Assembly, in a way to overcome the shortcomings, if any, in the Act.

The Act authorises federal and provincial governments to make rules for implementation of its certain provisions.

The resolution is specially aimed at changing the nomenclature, functions and composition of protection committees provided in the law.

Amna Ulfat and Seemal Kamran, two of the movers, say the need for improving the legislation was felt during a consultation with lawyer and rights activist Hina Jillani.

The MPAs say the Act, presently lying with Senate, prescribes protection committees at tehsil level, but they want such bodies down to union council level for tackling domestic violence.The resolution seeks renaming of the body as ‘Investigation and Protection Committee’ and giving it powers to probe into the domestic violence allegations, if need be, levelled by a plaintiff. It suggests a special court to deal with domestic violence complaints.

The movers want inclusion of elite of the area in the committee and giving its chairmanship to an elected representative instead of a gazetted officer as suggested in the Act.
Source: Dawn
Date:10/30/2009

ATTOCK: A postmortem carried out on the exhumed body of a girl Thursday revealed that she was strangled, doctors said.

A medical board and the Hazro police removed the body of Khalida Bibi who was killed Sunday night. Judicial magistrate Saleem Iqbal supervised the exhumation at a graveyard in Bahadur village.

The medico legal board conducted the autopsy amid tight security, as a large number of locals and journalists gathered around the scene. The body was buried again after the process was completed.Dr Gulshan Ejaz told reporters that according to preliminary findings, 17-year-old Khalida was strangled as wounds and deep bruises were found on her neck. There was also severe swelling on her face, which showed the teenage was murdered.

The detailed report was expected to be issued in few days for submission to the court of law.

Khalida was strangled allegedly by three of her family members, including parents, on Sunday night in the name of honour. The accused buried the deceased at the local graveyard next morning.
Source: Dawn
Date:10/30/2009