Courts set up to hear rape cases, panel told

Committee apprised of progress on implementing anti-rape law

ISLAMABAD:

The Anti-Rape Special Committee on Monday was apprised of the progress on implementing the anti-rape law, noting that special courts had been established across the country to hear the rape cases while special police units had been set up for the investigation purpose.

The panel, which was chaired by Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, met at the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The meeting was attended by Law and Justice Parliamentary Secretary Mehnaz Akbar Aziz, focal person anti-rape committee Osama Malik and other members and officials of the law ministry.

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Representatives of provincial governments also participated in the meeting.

The participants of the meeting were told that under the anti-rape law, special courts had been established throughout the country to hear the rape cases while special police units had been set up for investigation purpose.

The federal government in July had dissolved the anti-rape special committee formed by the previous government of PTI and notified a 26-member special committee comprising lawmakers, legal experts, bureaucrats, lawyers and medical experts.

The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021, passed by parliament a few months back, sought to set up special courts and use modern devices during the investigation and trial of rape cases.

The committee is also entitled to issue appropriate orders from time to time to Nadra to prepare a register of sex offenders, details of which would be provided to a court of law or a law enforcement agency.