Govt notifies formation of anti-rape committee
People carry signs against a gang rape that occurred along a highway and to condemn violence against women and girls, during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan September 12, 2020.PHOTO: REUTERS
The Law Ministry on Friday notified the formation of an anti-rape special committee to counter cases of sexual violence that have seen an alarming rise in the country.
Former senator Ayesha Raza Farooq would head the committee while Usama Malik would serve as the focal person of the body.
Besides working to prevent cases of rape against children, the special committee will primarily provide legal assistance to the victims of sexual assault.
Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Mehnaz Akbar has also been nominated as a member of the committee.
It is noteworthy that last year, the law ministry had constituted a 40-member special committee in line with the requirement of Section 15 of the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021.
The act sought to establish special courts and use of modern devices during the investigation and trial of rape cases.