The National Assembly’s standing committee on interior has voiced its support over the idea of awarding heavy punishments to culprits for raping a girl.
It will, however, discuss the issue more over awarding similar punishments to those committing such crimes against boys.
The committee meeting held earlier yesterday. was presided over by Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan.
It was briefed by MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik who has moved the “The Criminal Law Amendment Bill, 2014”.
Discussing the issue, she said that rape was a physical and psychological attack on a woman’s dignity, her body, mental well-being, integrity and privacy.
“This crime prevents her from moving and working normally in society,” she said, adding that rape was an attack on critical public values and it undermined the social and moral fabric of society.
The lawmaker said that it was the responsibility of the state to guard against such crimes and prevent the abuse of the process of law.
“Besides, the state should protect the vulnerable from exploitation and ensure the life and dignity of women,” Ms Malik said.
Members of the committee noted that the country was passing through difficult times with threats from terrorists, sectarian elements and extremists.
The chairman of the committee, while expressing support for the amendment, said that country needed stringent laws to award exemplary punishments to all law breakers and it had been decided that punishment for rape would be either death penalty or life imprisonment.
Due to certain technical objections by officials of the law ministry over the amendments, the committee will have to discuss the issue more in its next meeting.
