'Zainab Alert' mobile app launched in Karachi

KARACHI: Inspector General of Police Sindh Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar launched indigenously developed state-of-the-art Zainab Alert Mobile App in Karachi on Tuesday.

Addressing the ceremony held at Central Police Office, the IGP said that Mobile App will help to save the lives of our future generations through the use of current Information Communication Technology.

He said,” App has thoroughly been tested for last many months at CPO and CPLC by a dedicated team of experts to ensure that there is no bug in its operations of the alert system prior it’s formal launching.”

The ceremony was attended by high officials from all concerned departments, members of civil society, Officers /Staff of Sindh Police and guests from CPLC along with volunteers.

Earlier this month, the Senate of Pakistan passed Zainab Alert Bill 2020 which defines the law for the response and recovery of missing children.

According to the recent amendments passed by the Senate Standing Committee Human Rights, the police would be bound to register FIR of the missing child and action would be taken against the officers, denying to lodge the report.

The cases related to child rape cases will be heard by special judges.

A helpline 1099 will be established under the law besides constitution of an agency to take immediate action after responding complaints about abduction, murder and rape of minor children, read the bill.

Zainab rape and murder case

The bill is named after Zainab Ansari, who had been kidnapped on January 4 and found from a garbage heap on January 9. Zainab’s autopsy report suggested that the minor was sexually assaulted before being strangulated to death.

On January 21, the Supreme Court gave three days’ time to a joint investigation team formed to probe the rape and murder of Zainab to track down the culprit.

The JIT arrested the culprit named Imran Arshad on January 23 after the DNA proved that he was behind the rape and murder of Zainab and at least eight other girls from Kasur.

Read more: NA passes Zainab Alert bill for response, recovery of missing children

The rapist had been handed a total of three counts of death penalty and Rs2.5million in fine in another case of child sexual abuse.

Imran Arshad, who was already awarded four counts of the death penalty, one life term, 7-year jail term and Rs4.1 million in fines back in February for raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl named Zainab in Kasur, had confessed sexually abusing at least eight minor girls.

Imran Ali, who was awarded death penalty in the rape and murder case of seven-year-old Zainab, had met his ultimate fate on October 17.

Ali was hanged to death at 5:30 am at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Central Jail. He was executed in the presence of Judicial Magistrate Adil Sarwar, the deceased’s father, Muhammad Amin, and her uncle.