The National Legislative Assembly has called for public hearing on a bill to improve the welfare of the families of martyrs.

The Martyrs’ Family Fund Bill 2015 was presented to parliament today the Assembly today by the joint Committee of Gender, Religious Affairs and Justice for deliberation.

But MPs said the bill does not clearly define who is a child and who is a widow.

“This bill is coming without proper definition of who is a martyrs and who is a child of a martyr,” said Ajang Bior Duot, who represents the United Sudan African Party.

“My concern is that there should be an age limit. When you talk of children of martyrs and then you include Anyanya One, you know Anyanya One is over forty two years now. So my suggestion is that we have to settle the issue of a child of a martyr.

“If we want to give an allowance for a child of a martyr, we should actually fix the limit. A woman or a widow who has actually been married to another person cannot continue to be a widow of the martyr.”

However, the MPs passed the bill to its third reading. In the fourth and final reading, they will pass the bill into law pending the assent of the president.