Islamabad, August 13, 2025 – In the steps moving towards Gender Justice, Pakistan’s National Assembly has introduced the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2025, aimed at committing a punishable offense for the unfair eviction of women from their homes.
The law proposed by a member of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) National Assembly, Sharmila Farooqui, directly addresses the country’s long-term gap in the criminal code of the country. It wants to protect women—especially wives—because someone forcibly removes them from their homes without legitimate justification.
Understanding The Origin Of The Bill
The proposed amendment to the Pakistan Penal Code will imprison any husband or family member who misrepresents a woman from his home for three to six months and fine him up to Rs 200,000. The bill specifies that the first-class magistrate will hear such cases, ensuring relatively fast judicial action compared to the prolonged civil litigation.
The authorities consider the inclusion of both imprisonment and monetary fines a serious violation of MPs, not only as a domestic dispute. The proposal also designs the penalty to prevent criminals, while the authorities give victims a clear legal path to search for justice.
Why Does This Law Matter
In Pakistan, societal norms that prefer male patrons in domestic decisions, along with limited property ownership and financial dependence, leave many women weak after marriage. In many cases, issues related to disagreement, dispute, or dowry have thrown women out of their marital homes without any procedure or alternative housing.
Whereas the Provincial Law – such as the Violence against the Violence Act – provides some protection by allowing the courts to issue residence and protection orders, federal criminal law does not include a direct provision to punish improper eviction.
By making the Act a punishable criminal offense, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2025 introduces a new layer of security to the fundamental right of women’s shelters. It believes that the right to remain in someone’s house is not just a civil matter, but a matter of human dignity and security.
Existing Legal Framework and the Gap This Bill Fills
Current Security
- Provincial Law: In some provinces, there are laws to provide legal orders for women to live in their homes after incidents of domestic violence.
- Constitutional Guarantee: Pakistan’s Constitution ensures equality before the law (Article 25) and protects the right to acquire, hold, and settle property (Article 23).
- Protection of Women: Prevention of anti-women practices such as forced marriages to criminalize of acts 2011, inheritance to women, and other discriminatory acts.
What is not
Despite these measures, there is no clear federal criminal law that directly punishes a man for evicting his wife or any other female family member without any valid reason. Many women fully rely on civil suits, often slow, expensive, and emotionally dry. The new bill stops this difference by starting criminal liability, allowing for more decisive action to be rapidly more decisive.
Parliamentary Process and Next Stage
After its advent in the National Assembly, the bill has been sent to the relevant parliamentary committee for further review. Committees generally have a look at the language, scope, and potential impact of the proposed laws before sending them returned to the assembly for debate.
If approved at the stage of the committee, the bill will be brought back to the assembly floor for voting. When passed, it will run in the Senate for further ideas and approval. Both houses must approve it and the President must give his approval for it to officially become a law.
Public And Advocacy Response
The bill has been welcomed by way of many women’s rights organizations, criminal specialists, and social workers. They see it as a landmark step in aligning Pakistan’s home laws with their constitutional commitments to equality and human dignity.
Advocates explain that eviction is not just a matter of losing space to live – it often leaves women financially trapped, socially tarnished, and vulnerable to further misuse. By criminalization of the Act, the state sends a strong message that home safety for women is non-pervasive.
At the same time, some legal analysts suggest that the bill needs clear definitions to prevent misuse, ensuring that only inappropriate and illegal evictions receive punishment. This enforcement may include setting specific legal criteria to form an “inappropriate eviction” to avoid ambiguity.
Possible Effects If Passed
If passed into law, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill may be 2025:
- Domestic misconduct: The threat of imprisonment and fine can discourage family members from resorting to eviction during disputes.
- Provide rapid relief: Criminal proceedings prepared before the first class magistrate can be much faster than the cases of civil property cases.
- Strong women: Women will have a strong legal tool to oppose eviction and maintain residence in their homes.
- Strengthen legal awareness: Public discussion around the bill can educate families about women’s housing rights and encourage fair domestic practices.
Challenges Ahead
While the intentions of the bill are widely praised, its implementation may face challenges:
- Collecting evidence: Careful documentation and witness testimony will be required to prove “unfair eviction” in court.
- Social stress: Women can nonetheless hesitate to take prison action in opposition to husbands or in-laws due to social stigma.
- Enforcement mechanisms: Ensuring that police and magistrates cope with such instances straight away would be important for the success of the regulation without prejudice.
To address those issues, advocacy corporations have advised recognition campaigns, legal resource services, and education for law enforcement officials after the regulation came into force.
Comprehensive Reference: Women’s Rights in Pakistan
The beginning of this bill reflects a gradual but growing innings in Pakistan’s legislative approach to its rights. In recent years, the authorities have surpassed laws addressing administrative center harassment, acid assaults, inheritance refusal, and domestic violence. However, the enforcement stays choppy, and cultural tactics regularly progress slowly.
Concentrating on a particular and harmful exercise, consisting of eviction, legalists are spotting the need for criminal equipment centred on dealing with diverse kinds of domestic misconduct in opposition to girls. This method additionally aligns with worldwide human rights requirements, which emphasize housing as a fundamental human right.
Conclusions: A Step Towards Legal And Social Change
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2025 represents more than only one legal reform – this is a statement about Pakistan’s development stance on gender equality and justice. If passed, it will give women across the country a strong legal mold against one of the most unstable forms of domestic abuse.
For many women, the house is not just a physical space – it is a source of safety, stability, and dignity. Losing it incorrectly can lead to disastrous emotional, economic, and social results. By punishing such acts under criminal regulation, Pakistan ensures that no woman can remain without a haven due to an unjust cycle of family practices.
As the bill proceeds through the legislative process, its final success will depend not only on parliamentary approval but also on the commitment to use it properly and effectively. If this takes place, this development may additionally mark a substantial turn closer to shielding women’s rights to the maximum essential degree in the country’s journey: a secure and secure house right.
