Islamabad, August 11, 2020 (PPI-OT): Senator Rubina Khalid, Convener, Senate Special Committee on Child Protection has observed that loopholes in existing legislation with regard to Child protection need to be identified to improve and strengthen investigation process for speedy justice. She expressed these views while presiding over meeting of the special committee at the Parliament House on Tuesday.
The Committee was briefed in detailed about the updated statuses of child abuse incidents which took place in Mansehra seminary and Nowshera. It was informed that the accused of Mansehra incident is in custody and his request for bail has been rejected by the court. It was informed that the case has been fixed for hearing on 22nd September, 2020. The child is with their parents. Police department arranged for the treatment and psychological counselling of the child as well. Regarding Nowshera incident, the police department informed that the child was murdered by strangulation and was later on plunged into water tank. The officials informed that two accused namely Abdar and Rafiqullah Wahab have been arrested. The committee was informed that Lady doctor of DHQ Nowshera had referred the case to Peshawar for autopsy. The Committee took strong notice of referring the case KMC , Peshawar despite the fact the DHQ had the capacity to conduct autopsy and physical examination of the dead body of the child.
Members of the committee called for strict punishment as per law and condemned those involved in heinous crime. They emphasized that investigation processes need to be improved by not only imparting specialized trainings and capacity building of the police department but also the medical side. Convener of the Committee sympathised with the parents of the children brutally murdered in the two separate incidents. She said that such crimes can only be stopped by taking stern action against the culprits involved. She said that Parliament can legislate in this regard, however the lacunas have to be identified by the executing agencies. She said that Parliament can legislate and enact more concrete laws as such incidents are a crime against humanity.
The Committee also reviewed the steps taken by the FIA to curb child pornography. Members of the Committee were of the view that individuals and groups involved in such immoral activities have international links. It was informed that the FIA has got the capability of accessing profiles of those individuals and groups involved in uploading and downloading pornographic material.
The committee called for enhancing human resource of the cybercrimes wing of FIA and capabilities through capacity building. The meeting was attended by Senators Samina Saeed, Muhammad Ali Khan Saif and Muhammad Javed Abbasi besides senior Police Officers of Mansehra and Nowshera.
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