The Senate Standing Committee on Interior Monday strongly condemned the killings of Zainab and Asma after rape in Kasur and Mardan respectively and asked police to expedite efforts for arrest of culprits in order to give them exemplary punishment. The committee which met with Senator Rehman Malik in the chair passed a resolution, strongly condemning the abductions, rapes and murders of innocent minor children across the country, especially murder of innocent Zainab and Asma.
The parents of Zainab, the seven-year-old minor girl who was abducted, raped and murdered in recent past, also attended the meeting. The parents of Zainab while briefing the committee about the incident said that they are not satisfied over the investigation as the police have so far failed to arrest the killer of their innocent daughter. They appealed to the committee that the killer of their daughter must be brought to justice immediately. They said, "We demand door-to-door search and use of sniffer dogs and other technology to find the culprits involved in murder of our daughter."
Malik expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of investigation by police. Briefing the committee, Additional Inspector General of Police Punjab, Abubakar Khuda Bakhsh said that 1,500 people have been investigated in Zainab murder case so far and 692 DNA tests were carried out, adding the investigation is still underway on multiple aspects.
The parliamentary body expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation and directed Punjab Police to provide foolproof security to Zainab's family. Briefing the committee about the murder of Asma in Mardan, Regional Police Officer Mardan Muhammad Alam Shinwari presented her medical report but the committee rejected it and directed him to present a clear medical report in the next meeting. "I am not sure whether or not the victim child was raped, as samples have been sent to Punjab Forensic Laboratory, Lahore," he further said.
The committee recommended the government to immediately announce National Commission on Rights of Children Pakistan (NCRCP) to address the issues of child abuse at all levels and adopt strong measures to create deterrent to stop this heinous crime of child abuse throughout the country. The parliamentary body also asked all inspector generals of police for setting up a special cell/ research wing under their own command at all police headquarters for rapid response to the complaints of child abuse.
In the committee meeting, Malik moved a resolution against abduction, rape and murder cases of minor children across the country which was unanimously passed and adopted by the members. The resolution proposed amendment to Section 364A of PPC for increasing the punishment to "hanging to death publicly" and it was sent to the House. "The Senate Standing Committee on Interior strongly condemns the painful incidents of abduction, rape and murder of innocent minor children and expresses sympathies with victim families and extends full support to them. This committee strongly condemns rape and subsequent murder of seven-year-old Zainab Ansari in Kasur and four-year-old Asma in Mardan.
"The committee strongly proposes amendments to Section 364A of PPC for increasing the punishment to "hanging to death publicly." This committee also asks the NACTA to add the feature in their upcoming Apps for reporting to crime through picture/ video footage." The parliamentary body also formed a special subcommittee headed by Senator Shahi Syed to submit the in-depth report on the incident of Zainab, Asma and all the cases of same nature across the country.
Senator Syed Tahir Mashhadi, Senator Javed Abbasi, Senator Sardar Fateh Hassani, Senator Shahi Syed, Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, National Coordinator NACTA Ihsan Ghani and senior officials of the Ministry of Interior attended the meeting. The meeting was also attended by Advocate Anees Jillani, Barrister Benazir Jatoi and Valerie Khan as representatives of civil society and child rights activists.
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