Six private bills, including Anti-Rape (Amendment) Bill 2022, moved by PTI adopted

ISLAMABAD: The outgoing Senate, Monday, passed six private bills, all moved by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators, including the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) (Amendment) Bill 2022, that provides for strict monitoring of the movements and activities of sex offenders.

Presided over by Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi, the Senate session nodded the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) (Amendment) Bill 2022, moved by Mohsin Aziz from PTI.

The bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons provides that there is a dire need to strictly monitor the movements and activities of sex offenders where they can gain access to victims and abuse them sexually.

The other five bills passed by the House were: International Institute of Technology, Culture and Health Sciences Bill 2024, and National Database and Registration Authority (Amendment) Bill 2023, both moved by Fawzia Arshad, Pakistan Emergency Treatment Coverage Programme Bill 2023, and Pakistan Opportunistic Screening and Treatment of Hypertension Bill 2023, both moved by Sania Nishtar, and Islamabad Capital Territory Protection of Breast-Feeding and Child Nutrition Bill 2023, moved by Mehr Taj Roghani.

Six new bills were referred to the relevant standing committees.

The Senate unanimously passed a resolution, moved by several senators from various political parties, as well as independents, in condemnation of Israel’s recent aggression on civilians in Gaza.

The House noted with concern that Israeli army carried out a “brutal massacre on 29th February, 2024, on innocent and unarmed Palestinians who were gathered to received aid (food supplies, medicine, etc.) as a result hundreds of Palestinians were murdered in cold blood.”

Senate, through its resolution, said, realising that people of Palestine are already being starved due to the blockade from the international community by the Israeli army, “this House strongly recommends and urges international community to take action such that the siege of Gaza be lifted immediately and Muslims countries be allowed all access and cover for delivery of aid.”

Senators including Awn Abbas Bappi and Faisal Javed Khan from PTI, Taj Haider from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Ifnanullah Khan from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spoke on the resolution in condemnation of Israel.

Behramand Tangi from PPP withdrew his “controversial” resolution seeking curbs on social media.

“Cognizant of the fact that social media platforms are adversely affecting the young generation in the country; Acknowledging the fact that these platforms are being used for promotion of norms against our religion and culture, creating hatred amongst the people on the grounds of language and religion; Noting with concern on the use of such platforms against the interests of the country through negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces of Pakistan; Observing that such platforms are being used by vested interests for spreading fake news about various issues and try to create and promote fake leadership in the country to hoodwink the young generation; The Senate of Pakistan, therefore, recommends to the Government to put a ban on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter (X) and YouTube in order to save the young generation from their negative and devastating effects,” this resolution stated.

The house was adjourned till Wednesday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024