ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said his government will next week introduce a new “stringent” and “holistic” anti-rape law to address “loopholes” in existing legislation.
The announcement follows the headline-grabbing gang rape and abduction of a mother and her four-year-old daughter in the Kashmore district of the southern Sindh province earlier this week.
According to media reports, one of the attackers had lured the mother and the girl to his home on the pretext of finding the woman a job.
The attackers went on to rape the mother and daughter for several days before the woman was allowed to leave after promising to bring another woman to the attackers while they held her daughter hostage. Police managed to rescue the mother and daughter and arrest one of the main suspects after a local police officer used his daughter as bait, media reported.
PM Khan said on Twitter he had spoken to Assistant Subinspector (ASI) Muhammad Bux Buriro who had arrested the main suspect in the crime on November 12. On Friday, police said the suspect had been killed by an accomplice while in custody.
“Spoke to ASI Buriro and lauded his & his daughter’s exemplary initiative & courage in arrest of Kashmore rapist,” Khan said in a tweet on Saturday. “The nation is proud of them & he has given positive uplift to image of police. Next week we are bringing a stringent, holistic anti-rape Ordinance closing all loopholes.”
Spoke to ASI Buriro lauding his & his daughter's exemplary initiative & courage in arrest of Kashmore rapist. The nation is proud of them & he has given positive uplift to image of police. Next week we are bringing a stringent, holistic anti-rape Ordinance closing all loopholes.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 14, 2020
Pakistan already has severe sentences for rape though they are seldom implemented: 10-25 years in prison for rape and life imprisonment or death for gang rape.
The latest incident has sent shockwaves across Pakistan and around the world, with officials from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Islamabad expressing “deep shock” over the crime.
“UNICEF strongly condemns this vicious attack on a child,” Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, said in a statement. “While it is encouraging to see that the police managed to rescue the child and arrest one of the alleged perpetrators, greater efforts must be made to develop mechanisms that help prevent sexual abuse against children.”
The UN agency reiterated that “every child has the right to be protected from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse.”
“UNICEF will continue to work with federal, provincial authorities and communities to put in place effective, preventive mechanisms and improve the safety of children,” the statement said.
In September, the gang rape of a woman along one of the country’s most secure highways, in front of her minor children, spurred cries of outrage as rights activists and citizens demanded that the government do more to stem violence against women, including ensuring perpetrators were held accountable in a country that has seen over 3,500 rapes this year.
