Opposition submits resolution against child abuse

PTI’s Murad Rass emphasises need to replace ineffective laws

LAHORE: A legislator of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has demanded the government form a special team to put an end to cases of sexual assault on minor children.

The demand was out forward by PTI’s Dr Murad Rass in his resolution submitted to the Punjab Assembly.

Dr Rass feared that the number of child abuse was increasing by the day, but nothing has been done to stop this phenomenon. He stressed there was a need to establish a special committee to stop all such incidents in which the minors were targeted by sexual predators.

The PTI leader stressed there was a need to introduce proper legislation instead of the already existing laws which failed to fulfil requirements. “The existing laws are not working properly.” He said there is no room of such relaxed legislation in the constitution.

Dr Rass further maintained that the Punjab law minister was sleeping rather than playing an active role in either introducing amendments in the law or stopping such incidents.

He said the police department was cashing in on the negligence of the provincial law minister and that was the reason the force’s efficiency was confined to paperwork. The MPA said there was a need to review the Police Act, adding there was a need to expand the scope of the investigation to even those who facilitated such incidents.

“A database on child abuse should be set up.” He stressed on the need for concrete measures, which followed international standards, to stop child pornography and other such crimes. “All aspects should be included in the forensic investigation.

He emphasised the need to set up a database through which people could be intimated about the increasing or decreasing number of incidents. “People must also be informed about those children who are being neglected by their parents.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2018.