A letter dated July 5,2021 has been doing the rounds on social media where Awan has said that the bill first passed by the National Assembly in April was referred back after the Senate proposed a number of amendments to it.
The letter notes that 'various definitions and other contents of the bill' has been met with concerns.
Babar Awan also referred to Article 230 (1) (b) of the Constitution, noting that it "empowers the Islamic Council (CII) to advise a House, a Provincial Assembly, a President or a Governor on any question referred to it as to whether proposed law is or is not repugnant to the [injunctions] of Islam".
Presented by Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari in the Lower House of the Parliament in April, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021 was passed by the National Assembly the same day.
The Council of Islamic Ideology's involvement in the bill has raised eyebrows with critics reminding the government that the body has a history of opposing pro women legislation. In 2016, the CII made headlines when its then head Maulana Sherani said that husbands should be allowed to 'lightly beat' defying wives.