KP cabinet on Tuesday approved death penalty for child abusers after approval of Child Protection and Welfare Amendment Act 2020 by the provincial cabinet which will be implemented after approval by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The cabinet also approved 14-years sentence and five million penalty for the accused involved in child pornography and 10-years sentence for those involved in harassment and blackmailing through videos and filming.
After the approval of the Act, the criminals involved in child trafficking will be sentenced upto 25-years and fined Rs.5 million.
The approval was given during a cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, attended by cabinet members, Chief Secretary, Addl. Chief Secretary and all Administrative Secretaries.
Briefing Media persons about the decisions of the Cabinet Provincial minister for higher Education Kamran Bangash and newly appointed special assistant to CM on information and Public Relations Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif further said that, the Act was approved following recommendations by a special committee for Child Protection which recommended amendments in the Child Protection 2010.
The amended act has suggestion for exemplary punishment for the child abusers which include death penalty, life term imprisonment and huge penalty and there would be no concession in the punishment granted under the Act.
The police will be authorized audio video evidence and DNA tests during the investigation and presentation in the court of law as evidence.
The convict’s names will be displayed on Child Protection Commission Website and entered in the special register, there would not be a complete ban on providing employment in public – private sectors on these convicts while they would also be not allowed to use public transport.
The owner or head of any organization providing jobs to the child abusers will be imprisoned for 5-years and fined Rs.10 million or both.
The cabinet also approved 10-marla plots each for journalists/members of Peshawar Press Cub in News Peshawar Valley (Gandhara City) as well as establishment of Information Complex in News Peshawar Valley.
