DOTHEMESTIC VIOLENCE (PREVENTION AND PROTECTION) ACT, 2026

ACT NO. X OF 2026
AN
ACT
[26th January, 2026]
to establish an effective system of protection, relief and rehabilitation of women, men, transgender,
children and any vulnerable person against domestic violence.
WHEREAS the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan recognizes the fundamental
rights of all individuals, their dignity and their right to be treated in accordance with the law;
AND WHEREAS it is expedient to institutionalize measures which provide necessary
safeguards preventing and protecting all persons, including women, men, transgender, children, and any
vulnerable persons, from domestic violence and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto;
It is hereby enacted as follows:―
(ii)
1. Short title, extent and commencement.― (1) This Act shall be called the Domestic Violence
(Prevention and Protection) Act, 2026.
(2) It extends to the Islamabad Capital Territory.
(3) It shall come into force at once.
2. Definitions.―(1) In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant to the subject or context,―
“aggrieved person” means any woman, man, transgender person, child, vulnerable
person, or any other individual, including a person with a disability or a person of
old age, who is or has been in a domestic relationship with the respondent and
who alleges to have been subjected to any act of domestic violence by the
respondent;
-(2)“child” means any person under the age of eighteen years living in a domestic
relationship with the respondent and includes any adopted, step or foster child;
-(3)“Code” means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898);
-(4)“Court” means the family court established under the family Courts Act, 1964
and shall have and exercise all the powers of a judicial magistrate of the first class
under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898);
-(5)“Division concerned” means the division to which the business of this Act stand
allocated;

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(b) if an offence falling under Penal Code is committed in a domestic relationship the
offences shall be punishable as provided under the Penal Code and shall be tried
by the court of competent jurisdiction;

(c)“physical abuse” means all acts whereby physical harm is inflicted upon the
vulnerable persons and includes all offences under chapters XVI, XVI A, XVII,
XX, XXA of the Penal Code.

(d)“psychological and verbal abuse”, is where the aggrieved individual suffers from
a pattern of degrading or humiliating conduct of the respondent and includes but
not limited to:―

(i) repeated exhibition of obsessive jealousy causing repeated invasion of the
victim’s privacy, liberty, integrity and security;
(ii) insults or ridicule directed at the aggrieved person;
threats to cause physical pain to spouse or other members of shared
household;
(iii) threats of divorce or second marriage on baseless accusation of insanity or
infertility;
(iv) bringing false allegation upon the character of a female member or any
member of the shared household;
(v) willful or negligent abandonment of the aggrieved person;
(vi) stalking;
(vii) harassment