Domestic violence: Lawyer explains what should victims do
Syeda Aliza Sultan, ex-wife of famous Pakistani actor Feroze Khan, on Monday, furnished evidence of domestic violence against her by ex-husband before the district and sessions court of Karachi.
The photographs provided by the accuser indicated that she was allegedly tortured by her ex-husband on three different occasions.
The first incident happened on July 7, 2020, and then on May 10, 2021, and the last pictures indicated that Khan assaulted her again on April 7 this year.
Speaking on the case, which has certainly gathered all limelight of social media, lawyer and activist Nighat Dad shared a thread about what a victim of domestic abuse should do.
In a series of tweets, she chronologically explained the measures, citing examples from the case of Aliza Sultan – ex-wife of Feroze Khan.
She went on to explain the legal rights women have in Pakistan, saying, “In case of injuries, please note that women have the right to be medically examined by the relevant medical officers, and this is also confirmed as per Rule 25.19 of the Police Rules 1934.”
Moreover, she said, “If the concerned police officer uses his/her discretion under sub-rule 5 of Rule 25.19 and decides not to send you for medical examination, then you must request and try to establish your case, and if need be, get legal help and get your Medico-legal opinion.”
Nighat said, “The nature of violence you may have had to face will now be recorded as per relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860, and this may range from sections 332, 337 or even section 376 (in case of sexual violence).”
Apart from this, she denoted that domestic violence laws vary from province to province. “The procedure might also be different according to which province you are in for instance in Sindh & Baluchistan Domestic Violence is criminalized whereas in Punjab it is a civil crime under The Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act (PPWVA),” she added.
