Govt will table bill on corporal punishment in House: Mazari

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Thursday told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that the cabinet has approved a bill to ban corporal punishment for children, adding that the same would be introduced for debate and passage by the parliament.

During hearing of a petition, filed by singer and activist Shehzad Roy, against corporal punishment for children, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah questioned what had become of lawmaking on the issue by the federal government.

He wondered why — despite the federal cabinet having approved a bill on the issue in March 2019 — the relevant bill was not brought to the parliament and directed the law ministry to appoint an officer to determine the reasons behind the delay.

The judge inquired whether laws in provinces were being enforced to stop violence against children.

Responding to his queries, Mazari confirmed the federal cabinet has approved the bill and it had to be sent to parliament now.

Roy’s lawyer informed the court that lawmaking has been done in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh to stop violence against children.

“What is the problem with the federal government then?” questioned Justice Minallah.

Mazari said that while her ministry “fully supports” Roy’s petition, the “law ministry said it is out of your [ministry’s] jurisdiction.”

Ensuring safety of children from such violence was the “job of the federal government and it is a human rights issue,” remarked Justice Minallah.

Explaining why the bill had not been tabled in parliament despite being okayed by the cabinet, Mazari said ministry of interior had sent the bill to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CCI) and the council had “raised objections” on it.

Justice Minallah remarked that “Islam teaches about the dignity of humans, not violence [against them].”

He further remarked that he could not “understand why the interior ministry had sent good lawmaking to the council for approval.” He observed that the CCI has objected to the bill “without citing relevant Islamic teachings” and that “all incidents of violence against children are a result of not following Islamic teachings.”