The bill amending Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (Act XLV of 1860) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP), 1898 was presented on Tuesday in the National Assembly by Justice (Retd) Fakhar-un-Nisa Khokar.
The bill introduces insertion of new sections in Act XLV of 1860 providing death punishment for whoever molests or sexually abuses a child under the age of minority.
In the Pakistan Panel Code after section 377, new sections of 377A and 377B were inserted in the Act.
377A deals with child molestation and states that ‘whoever molests a child under the age of minority deceitfully, coercively or by providing inducement and commits unnatural or carnal intercourse against the order of nature, as the case may be, shall be punished with death or not less than rupees five hundred thousand which shall be paid to the victim’.
While the 377B deals with brokering, bargaining or dealing in relation to offences under section 377A. 377B states as whoever brokers, bargains or deals in directly or indirectly to such matters relating to facilitation by any means or by providing room or making arrangements for commission of an offence as contained in section 377A shall be punished with imprisonment which shall not be less than ten years and a fine not less than rupees ten hundred thousand.
The bill also introduced amendment of schedule II of CCP saying that child molestation would not be bailable and compoundable offence. Similarly, brokering, bargaining or dealing in relations to the offence would not be bailable and, in both cases, the sessions court was empowered for deciding the punishment.
It is pertinent to mention that the bill would be sent to the concerned standing committee for recommendations and will be sent back to the parliament for final approval if approved.
Bill seeks death for sexually abusing minors
