KP Acid & Crime Bill 2019: Draft to be presented in provincial assembly soon

PESHAWAR: The draft of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Acid & Crime Bill 2019 is ready and set to be presented in the provincial assembly soon.

The KP Acid & Crime Bill 2019, which has been years in the making and now prepared by the KP Social Welfare Department, proposes life imprisonment for those convicted of killing another person by burning them or throwing acid on them.

According to the proposed bill, if the victim sustains burn wounds, the accused would be sentenced to seven years in prison and slapped with a Rs500,000 fine.

It also recommends that only police personnel of station house officer (SHO) rank or above would investigate acid-throwing and burning incidents. However, negligence could cost the said officer two years in jail.

The KP Acid & Crime Bill 2019 also proposes that the witnesses in acid-throwing and burning incidents would be given complete security and the victims provided medical and financial assistance.