PM vows to bring strict legislation against sex offenders

The new legislation will ensure strict punishments to deter possible sex crimes

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that gang-rape incident on motorway near Gujjarpura has shaken the entire country.

Addressing the Joint Session of the Parliament in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said that the government is planning to bring the legislation after the motorway gang-rape incident to prevent such incidents.

"A comprehensive legislation will be enacted to award exemplary punishment to the sex offenders," he said and added this piece of legislation will also provide protection to the women and the children. He said it will also ensure protection of the witnesses to convict the persons involved in such ghastly acts.

The prime minister said that the prime suspect in motorway gang-rape incident Abid Ali was involved in gang-rape incident. He committed the heinous crime again after he was not given strict punishment.

Regarding Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Imran Khan said that Pakistan was not the grey list due the PTI-led government, adding that sanctions could be imposed on Pakistan if placed in the black list. He said rupee would be under pressure if Pakistan is blacklisted.

The prime minister congratulated the coalition partners on the passage of crucial FATF-related bills and said that today is a big day for the government. He was of the view that failing to pass these laws could push Pakistan to blacklist which could have serious economic consequences for the country.

Imran Khan said that the Opposition tried to blackmail the government to protect their vested interests and the looted money of their top leaders. For this purpose, they proposed thirty-four Amendments in NAB law. He questioned how a country could progress when billions of dollars were laundered abroad. This only puts pressure on our foreign exchange reserves. He said had the top opposition leaders not involved in money laundering then why were they opposing the anti-money laundering bill.

Regarding coronavirus, PM Imran said that the opposition was advising me to impose India-like lockdown. The opposition should have applauded the government for getting out of the COVID-19 situation.

PM Khan went on to say that even the World Health Organization (WHO) is advising the world to learn Coronavirus policy from Pakistan.

Takig a jibe at the opposition, he said, “We told them that it is in Pakistan’s interest…(Having witnessed) the way they negotiated (to support the legislation), it is my conviction that their interests and those of Pakistan are opposed.

The premier while calling the interests of Pakistan and opposition leaders opposed to each other, categorically said the government could make any compromise with the opposition for country and democracy, but never on corruption.