ISLAMABAD – In a major legislative step toward strengthening protections against abuse, the National Assembly on Thursday passed the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2025, creating a comprehensive legal framework for safeguarding vulnerable persons within the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
This landmark bill aligns with Pakistan’s international commitment under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Law Today has learnt that the Act defines domestic violence comprehensively, covering all acts of physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse committed by a respondent against a person with whom they are or have been in a domestic relationship, provided the act causes fear or physical or psychological harm to the aggrieved person.
Under the Act, domestic violence includes a wide spectrum of conduct ranging from physical harm to degrading treatment, stalking, harassment, threats of divorce, forced cohabitation, intentional economic deprivation, and sexual abuse.
Where the offence falls under the Pakistan Penal Code, the prescribed PPC penalties will apply; otherwise, perpetrators may face simple imprisonment between six months and three years, alongside fines ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs100,000, payable as compensation to the victim. The law empowers the Family Court – vested with magisterial powers – to issue protection orders, residence orders, and interim orders, restricting the respondent from contacting, approaching, or intimidating the aggrieved person.
Courts may also direct the respondent to vacate the shared household where grave violence jeopardises the life, dignity, or reputation of the victim. Significantly, the Act ensures the right of the aggrieved person to remain in the shared household regardless of ownership, or alternatively, seek safe shelter through registered service providers. Courts may further order monetary relief, covering medical expenses, loss of earnings, economic abuse, and maintenance for the victim and their children. Employers may be directed to deduct payments directly where respondents fail to comply.
The legislation also strengthens enforcement mechanisms by criminalising the breach of any protection, interim, residence, or custody order, punishable with up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000, which is payable to the victim. The offences under this section are cognizable, bailable, and compoundable.
To operationalise the framework, the Act mandates the constitution of Protection Committees comprising representatives of the Family Protection and Rehabilitation Centre, National Commission on the Status of Women, medical and psychosocial experts, law officers, and police officials. These committees, supported by designated Protection Officers, are responsible for guiding victims, arranging safe relocation, filing petitions, coordinating medical examinations, connecting victims with legal aid, and maintaining district-level records of domestic violence incidents.
Service providers – such as shelter homes, legal aid bodies and medical facilities are authorised to document incidents, arrange treatment, and provide safe housing to victims. All actions taken in good faith by committees, officers, or service providers are legally protected under the Act. The Bill also empowers the Federal Government to frame rules and issue directions to remove administrative difficulties, ensuring smooth implementation. It expressly operates in addition to other laws, strengthening rather than replacing existing criminal remedies.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons highlights alarming domestic violence statistics, noting that one in three women in Pakistan experiences abuse during her lifetime, with ICT witnessing a surge in reported cases. The Bill, therefore, seeks to fulfil Pakistan’s CEDAW obligations by introducing stronger enforcement mechanisms, rehabilitation services, and preventive measures aimed at reducing domestic violence across ICT.
