Marriyum Aurangzeb welcomes prompt justice in Zainab murder case

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said that prompt justice done in the murder and abuse case of Zainab was a welcome development, and the gathering of incriminating evidence by the Punjab government was also very commendable.

The state minister was speaking after being elected as the chairperson of the special committee of National Assembly on child abuse which vowed to obliterate child abuse from Pakistan.

The committee would review the existing laws and prosecution procedures to prevent incidents of child abuse. It would consult all the stakeholders including the provincial government and representatives of the civil society for improvement in laws and their implementation.

The ministries of Law and Justice, Human Rights and Education would also present their proposals to the committee. For the prevention of child abuse and torture, guidance would also be sought from the experience of the regional countries and the laws there besides scrutinizing the provincial laws.

The state minister said that the committee would firm up its recommendations within thirty days and present them to the Speaker National Assembly.

She said that after reviewing the inputs from the stakeholders, amendments in the laws would be proposed wherever necessary so that nobody could dare to cast an evil eye on the children in the future.

She said that a proposal was also under consideration for the inclusion of information regarding awareness against violence on children and ways to prevent them in the education syllabus. She said that the media should play an effective role for creating awareness about the issue.

The minister said that she would try her level best to shoulder the onerous responsibility of protecting the children and their rights with the spirit and love of a mother.

She said that the speaker National Assembly deserved appreciation for his timely initiative to form the committee for taking long-term steps for the protection of children.

She observed that the members of the committee had presented useful proposals for improving the laws and prosecution system with respect to child abuse.

The members of the special committee comprise minister of state for interior Talal Chaudhry, Zahid Hamid, Shaista Pervez, Shahid Akhtar Ali, Romina Khursheed Alam, Dr Azra Afzal Pechuho, Ali Muhammad Khan, Kishwar Zehra and Sahibzada Tariqullah.