Cabinet okays death for child abusers

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) cabinet has approved death penalty for child abusers after approval of Child Protection and Welfare Amendment Act 2020 by the provincial cabinet which will be implemented after approval by the provincial assembly.

The cabinet also approved 14-year sentence and Rs5 million penalty for the accused involved in child pornography and 10-year sentence for those involved in harassment and blackmailing through videos and filming. After the approval of the act, the criminals involved in child trafficking will be sentenced up to 25 years and fined Rs5 million. The approval was given during a cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, attended by cabinet members, Chief Secretary, Addl. Chief Secretary and all Administrative Secretaries.

Briefing media persons about the decisions of the cabinet Provincial Minister for Higher Education Kamran Bangash and newly appointed Special Assistant to CM on Information and Public Relations Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif further said that, the act was approved following recommendations by a special committee for child protection which recommended amendments in the Child Protection Act 2010. The amended act has suggested exemplary punishment for the child abusers which include death penalty, life term imprisonment and huge penalty and there would be no concession in the punishment granted under the act.

The police will be authorized for audio video evidence and DNA tests during the investigation and presentation in the court of law as evidence.

The convict’s names will be displayed on Child Protection Commission Website and entered in the special register, there would not be a complete ban on providing employment in public – private sectors on these convicts while they would also be not allowed to use public transport.

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The owner or head of any organization providing jobs to the child abusers will be imprisoned for five years and fined Rs10 million or both.

The cabinet also approved Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Book Registration Amendment Act-2021 following which the declaration and transfer of the newspaper will be authorized to any person, irrespective of blood relatives, however, the transfer will only be approved after 10-years of the initial declaration in the name of the owner.

The cabinet also approved National Parks Rules 2021 for maintenance of National Parks while it also approved supplementary grant for reconstruction of flood affected roads including eight kilometer road from Fateh Pur to Miandam, Haljadul to Karlakian, Bara Alia road Haripur 12 kilometer while nine-kilometer Choi to Kathala road.

The cabinet also approved a supplementary grant of Rs2.677 billion for supply of Sui Gas to the gas producing districts of the province. For his gallantry sacrifice, the cabinet approved renaming of Yar Hussain with Luqman Shaheed Chowk.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2021.