SHC seeks rape law implementation report

No committees have been set up for rehab of victims, protection of witnesses

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court has ordered the federal and provincial governments to submit a response to the application for the implementation of the Anti-Rape Trial and Investigation Act 2021.

A petition was heard before a two-member bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan for the implementation of the law regarding the incidents of gang-rape and sexual abuse of girls in Sindh.

Petitioner Tariq Mansoor Advocate stated that Federal Ministry of Law and Justice, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister and Sindh Interior Department have not submitted their response yet.

The court expressed displeasure over the failure of the federal government to submit the reply.

Tariq Mansoor Advocate submitted that committees have not been formed yet for the rehabilitation of the victims and the protection of witnesses. A list of more than 200 affected women has been submitted for the facilities promised by the government to the victims.

The petitioner said that conviction rate in rape cases is 10 to 12 per cent only due to poor investigation process.

The court ordered the federal and provincial governments to submit their responses. The court adjourned the hearing till October 25.

In the petition filed, the position was adopted that the police reform law was also made but it was not implemented. The government has not submitted the answer for the last one year. Special investigation units of the police were to be formed. A woman police officer is not appointed even as an investigation officer. Incidents are happening daily due to non-compliance of the law.

Missing persons

A two-member bench headed by Jusice Naimatullah Phulpoto on Thursday directed the Interior Ministry, Sindh home department and the IG police to use technology to trace the 10 missing persons and submit report within four weeks.

The mother of Talha and Maaz, who have been missing since 2014, broke into tears before the bench. She told the court that the police had not found her sons since they went missing nine years ago.

The meeting of the task force and joint investigation teams (JITs) produced no results, adding that the court needs to take action, she said.

The court, expressing their outrage, demanded a new investigative report from the provincial and federal governments.

The missing individuals Yousuf, Wajid, Ajaz, Ramsha, Rafiq Umar Farooq, Faiz Muhammad, Zubair, and others must be found immediately, the court said.

Vehicles seized

The commercial banking circle team has seized two vehicles of a showroom under trade base money laundering during the operation in Clifton area.

A notice was displayed on the showroom. The owner of the said showroom cannot sell these vehicle or remove the notice without permission.

According to FIA officials, notices were also issued to three more showroom owners established in the Clifton. The number of notices issued in Khalid bin Waleed Road and Clifton rose to 20.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2023.