(a) "aggrieved person" means a female who has been subjected to violence by a accused individual, company of institution in court of law; (b) "Committee" means a District Women Protection Committee established under the Act; (c) “Code” means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898); (d) “Court” means the Family Court established under the Family Courts Act, 1964 (XXXV of 1964); (e) “dependent child” means a male child who is below the age of twelve years of age and includes any adopted, step or foster child; (f) “District Coordination Officer” means the District Coordination Officer of the district; (g) “District Women Protection Officer” means the District Women Protection Officer appointed under the Act; (h) “domestic violence” means the violence committed by the defendant with whom the aggrieved is living or has lived in a house when they are related to each other by consanguinity, mar

riage or adoption; (i) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; (j) “house” includes a place where the aggrieved person lives in a domestic relationship irrespective of right to ownership or possession of the aggrieved person, defendant or joint family; (k) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under the Act; (l) “Protection Centre” means a Violence against Women Centre established under the Act; (m) “protection system” means the protection system constituted under the Act and includes a Committee, a Protection Centre and a shelter home established under the Act; (n) "defendant" means a person against whom relief has been sought by the aggrieved person; (o) “resident” means a woman residing in a shelter home or a dependent child of such woman residing with her in the shelter home or a child residing in a shelter home; (p) “rules” means the rules made under the Act; (q) “shelter home” means a premises established or licensed by the Government under the Act to provide board and lodging and rehabilitation services to the aggrieved persons, other women and their children; (r) “violence” means any offence committed against the human body of the aggrieved person including abetment of an offence, domestic violence, sexual violence, psychological abuse, economic abuse, stalking or a cybercrime; Explanations.- In this clause: (1) “economic abuse” means denial of food, clothing and shelter in a domestic relationship to the aggrieved person by the defendant in accordance with the defendant’s income or taking away the income of the aggrieved person without her consent by the defendant; and (2) “psychological violence includes psychological deterioration of aggrieved person which may result in anorexia, suicide attempt or clinically proven depression resulting from defendant’s oppressive behaviour or limiting freedom of movement of the aggrieved person and that condition is certified by a panel of psychologists appointed by District Women Protection Committee; and (s) “Women Protection Officer” means a Women Protection Officer appointed under the Act. (2) A word or expression not defined in the Act shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the Code or the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (XLV of 1860).