Staff Reporter Islamabad
Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Barrister Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem has directed the provinces in identifying public hospitals in each district of the country for establishment of Anti-Rape Crisis Cells.
He chaired a meeting of the law ministry officials, chief secretaries, home department officials and representatives of the police from each province the other day to discuss the implementation of the anti-rape legislation throughout the country, said a press release on Friday.
He said the establishment of Anti-Rape Crisis Cells and Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) were key to effective implementation of the law and negligence in expeditious execution of directions in this regard would result in dire consequences.
He said provincial representatives must convey the names of their focal persons, public hospitals for establishment of Anti-Rape Crisis Cells as well as the officials (commissioners or deputy commissioners) who would head those cells in various districts of the country, by early next week.
He said those cells would play an important role in medico-legal examination of the victims and gathering important evidence in the very early stages.
He said a JIT would be headed by a district police officer and comprise a superintendent of the police, a deputy superintendent, station house officer and at least one female officer of the police in each district.
He said the data from all the provinces, on rape and sexual offences would also be required for effective implementation of the anti-rape laws.
Law Minister Punjab, Raja Basharat informed Barrister Farogh Naseem that district headquarter hospitals would soon be notified as Anti-Rape Crisis Cells throughout Punjab.
He assured the minister of swift implementation of the law in the province.
Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Barrister Maleeka Bokhari, who was heading the Anti-Rape Special Committee, informed the participants that she intended to visit each province personally, next week to help in the implementation of the laws.
She said the rape cases that happened recently or were in courts at the moment must be dealt with in accordance with the law.
