The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has passed a bill that suggested public hangings of child abusers by seeking amendments in sections 376 and 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The bill was moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Javed Abbasi. As per the proposed legislation, the high courts should conduct trials of the rape cases involving children within 30 days.

It further says that the Supreme Court should adjudicate the appeals pertaining to these cases within 60 days.

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The bill, if converted into an act of parliament, will also close doors on a compromise by the families of the children who become victims of sexual abuse.

Dawn quoted the draft of the bill as such: “Whoever commits [child sexual abuse] be punished with death or imprisonment for life without parole till death and shall also be liable to fine.”

Under a proposed amendment to Section 377 of the PPC, whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any boy under 18 years of age shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life without parole till death and shall also be liable to fine.

“Rape is a heinous crime; an act of violence that ruins the lives of victims. In Pakistan, rape cases are reported and registered; however, conviction rates of the accused are abysmally low. Recent events relating to sexual abuse and rape throughout the country, particularly against children, have necessitated that tough punishments should be meted out to perpetrators.

“Current penalties are less compared to the magnitude of the crime. The bill aims to increase the punishment of rape as one of the deterrent to this heinous crime,” reads the statement of objects and reasons.

During the proceedings of the Senate panel, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Leader of House Senator Shahzad Waseem staged a walkout. Waseem told the newspaper that he had opposed the bill because the government was bringing an ordinance over the same issue.

However, Senate body Chairman Rehman Malik said that the ordinance should be clubbed with bill during the stage of its consideration.