Govt has finalised anti-rape investigations, trial bill: Shahzad Akbar

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar, has said that the federal government finalised anti-rape investigation and trial bill which aims to give strict punishments to the sex offenders, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Shahzad Akbar said in his Twitter message that the new law is aiming for expeditious investigations and trial through special courts, creating sex offenders register; the pronouncement of strict punishment and the protection of rape victims following the instruction of the Prime Minister Imran Khan.

وزریراعظم @ImranKhanPTI کی ہدایت کی روشنی خواتین اور بچوں کے ریپ سے متعلقہ تفتیش اور مقدمہ چلانے کا نیا قانون تیار، سخت سزایں اور فوری تفتیش اور ٹرایل کے لیے اھم فیصلہ سازی pic.twitter.com/2hfz5wAdML

— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) November 24, 2020

The premier’s advisor on accountability and interior retweeted the post of the Ministry of Law and Justice regarding a high-meeting which was held yesterday under the chair of Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem to discuss anti-rape law, creation of special courts and joint investigation teams for rape cases.

Govt has finalised Anti Rape investigations & Trial Bill aiming for expeditious investigations n trial through special courts, creating sex offenders register n protection of rape victims on instructions of PM @ImranKhanPTI https://t.co/CvCe6AzSSf

— Mirza Shahzad Akbar (@ShazadAkbar) November 24, 2020

Read: Rapists should be chemically castrated, says PM Imran Khan

Earlier on Saturday, it emerged that the federal government had decided to bring an ordinance for pronouncing strict punishments to the rape convicts.

The decision had been taken in a session of the government’s legal team which was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan where he was given a briefing over the legal procedures to pronounce penalties to the rapists and regulations for the protection of witnesses.

While addressing the session, PM Imran Khan had said that the authorities will have to bring up a plan for curbing rape incidents and any delay in its legislation will be disastrous for the country.

Read: Government to table bill for rapists’ castration, hanging

Sources told ARY News that PM Khan refused to give more time to the legal team for the lawmaking. He directed the legal team to work day and night to finalise the legislation.

The premier had said that justice must be provided to the victims through the speedy trial of rape cases. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Dr Farogh Naseem, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari and other concerned officials.

The legal team had been ordered to bring forward a comprehensive plan for keeping the identity of the child rape victims under secrecy besides ensuring to keep their future safe and secure. The concerned authorities had decided to expedite the legislation following the instructions of the premier.