According to a news report published in DAWN, Minister for Disaster Management and Civil Defence Ahmed Raza Qadri expressed his gratitude to the assembly for enacting AJK Criminal Law (third amendment) Act 2020, saying that the legislation would help the state to effectively control the vice of sexual abuse of children.
“Unfortunately, incidents of sexual abuse of children were being frequently reported mainly because of mild punishment to the perpetrators of this heinous crime which had necessitated introducing a law envisaging strict punishment. The amended law will empower the concerned trial court, to hand down capital punishment, life imprisonment, fine or castration to those involved in rape of a child below 18 years of age,” the lawmaker said.
Raza Qadri said that those attempting to rape a juvenile would also be liable to undergo imprisonment of five to 10 years. “In order to check misuse of law, an officer to the rank of assistant superintendent or deputy superintendent of police would investigate the case while the trial court [of session judge] would decide the case within 60 days,” he added.
Before his appointment as minister, Qadri had moved the aforesaid bill as a private member. However, realising the gravity of the matter Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider decided to own and officially introduce the law, following which it was placed before the cabinet by the law department where it was approved for enactment.