NA endorses gender harassment at workplace bill

The National Assembly has approved an amendment bill for prevention of gender harassment at workplace under which the offender shall be sentenced to three years in prison or fined of Rs 500,000, reported Dunya News on Thursday.Minister of State for Law and Justice Muhammad Afzal Sandhu tabled the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1898. Under the bill, a level one magistrate will have the jurisdiction to file the cases. No offender could be detained without arrest warrant however the parties involved would have the right to reach settlement in court. Several MNAs expressed their concerns over the bill. PML-N parliamentarian Rasheed Akbar Khan stressed the need to take measures for avoiding misuse of the law. PPP parliamentarian Sherry Rehman said that women who work at homes would also benefit from the law.