ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Monday called upon all state institutions to ensure that perpetrators in the gruesome lynching of a Sri Lankan man in Sialkot are punished with the full might of the law.
The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice, which met here with Waleed Iqbal in the chair, also stressed for conducting some soul searching followed by taking of concrete steps towards preventing the society’s descent into intolerant radicalisation.
The committee expressed its profound grief and sorrow over the heinous act of crime in which the Sri Lankan citizen, Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, fell prey to religious bigots.
It also extended its sincere condolences and regrets to the family of the deceased, as well as to the government and the people of Sri Lanka.
The committee also observed one-minute silence and passed a resolution, unanimously, moved by the chairman committee to honour the deceased Sri Lankan citizen.
At the onset of the meeting, the committee passed the bill titled, “The Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Bill, 2021” introduced by Dr Shireen Mazari, Minister for Human Rights.
The chairman committee, senators, women activists, and law experts gave their insight on the proposed bill, and certain amendments were also considered.
The committee reviewed, “The Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Bill, 2021” clause-by-clause.
Senator Sherry Rehman identified loopholes in the amendments and asked for addressing the lacunas.
She said that the bill should be more inclusive with broad definitions.
Interestingly, Senator Rehman and some law experts – for reasons best known to them – made last ditch effort to drop a section of the bill pertaining to punishment for filing “malafide or false complaints” but Senator Prof Mehr Taj Roghani opposed the proposal tooth nail.
The committee passed the amendment bill to protect women from harassment at the workplace.
Some of the proposed amendments are: i) The protection of women working in sports and online was made part of the bill,(ii)The scope of the law also includes universities and art studios,(iii)Harassment of women working in houses was also included in the bill,(iv)A government employee involved in harassment can be punished with dismissal and suspension of promotion,(v)Those involved in professional fields will have their licenses revoked as punishment,(vi)Gender-based discrimination would also be a punishable offence, (vii)Harassment petitions will be decided in 90 days.
According to its Statement of Objects and Reasons, the bill is aimed at facilitating increased participation of women in the workforce by removing the lacuna present in the existing law.
It broadens the ambit and scope of the law to include certain professions and employment models that the current law does not expressly mention.
“Through these amendments, protection from harassment shall be provided to people engaged in all types of work - formal and informal. The amendment bill will also provide clarity with respect to different kinds of harassment that take place at the workplace,” it added.
It said that the purpose of this amendment is to fulfil Pakistan’s constitutional obligations to its citizens and guarantee them their dignity and prevention of discrimination on the basis of sex in their professions and achieve the goal of increased participation of women in the workplace. The bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objectives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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