Govt preparing bill to award strict punishment to sex offenders, PM tells parliament

(Karachi) Prime Minister Imran Khan has said we have to make such laws that could provide protection to women and children against harassment. The government is in the process of preparing a bill aimed to award strict punishment to sex offenders.

Addressing the parliament session on Wednesday, the PM said that a bill against sexual harassment will be tabled in the parliament soon.

Imran maintained that those involved in rape incidents do such crimes again and again. "The government will maintain record of those culprits who are involved in sexual harassment cases," he stated.

"Rape not only destroys a family but the entire household," he said.

Regarding the Finance Action Task Force (FATF) bills, the prime minister said that opposition used FATF for their own gains. "Opposition members do not care about Pakistan's interests. They only care how to save looted money."

He highlighted that the opposition presented several amendments in NAB and FATF-related bills just to protect their corrupt practices. "Opposition thought they could blackmail the government over FATF bills but we took stand and stood by our principles."

The premier said, "Like coronavirus, Pakistan will also come out of the FATAF grey list." He said it is in best interest of the country to get out of the FATF grey list.

Earlier in the day, parliament approved all FATF-related bills with majority. The session was presided over by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser while the bill was presented by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan.

The bills presented in the parliament included the Anti-Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Bill, the Islamabad Capital Territory Waqf Properties Bill and the Anti-Terrorism Act (amendment) Bill, 2020, all of which were previously rejected by the Senate.

The legislation aims to enable law enforcement authorities to take certain encountering techniques with authoritative support of the courts of law to curb with these menaces.

As per details, Section 19-C (application of investigation techniques) has been inserted in the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Under the new law, the investigating officer with the permission of the court, within 60 days [will be allowed to] use techniques including undercover operation, intercepting communications, accessing computer systems and controlled delivery for investigation of financing terrorism under the law in force.

The law also gives the federal government the power to “make rules to regulate the procedure and execution of orders. The bill states that funding for terrorism was a major obstacle in the country’s development and was benefiting those elements which a threat to internal and external peace of the country.