28-Mar-2024  Srinagar booked.net

South Asia

Rapes Rising In Pakistan’s Punjab, Govt Declares Emergency

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Pakistan's Punjab province declared an "emergency" on Monday over a spike in rape cases in the region.

Punjab Home Minister Atta Tarar said the administration was forced to "declare an emergency to deal with rising rape cases" across the region.

The minister said the rapid increase in cases of sexual abuse against women and children in the province is a serious issue for the society and government officials.

"Four to five cases of rape are being reported daily in Punjab due to which the government is considering special measures to deal with cases of sexual harassment, abuse and coercion, the Dawn newspaper quoted the provincial minister as saying in a press conference at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) headquarters.

"All cases will be reviewed by the Cabinet Committee on Rape and Law and Order, and that civil society, women rights organisations, teachers, and attorneys will also be consulted to keep a check on such incidents, the minister said before the Law Minister Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan.

Mr. Tarar also urged parents to teach their children about the importance of safety and that youngsters should not be left alone in their homes without supervision.

He stated that the accused in a number of cases had been detained, the government had launched an anti-rape campaign, and students would be sensitied about sexual harassment in schools.

The home minister also said the role of Punjab Forensic Science Agency would be improved for sampling of DNA on a fast track basis and a meeting with the lab authorities was scheduled for later Monday.

The minister in a response to a query also regretted that taking drugs had become a fashion in elite schools and colleges, which was contributing to the rise in the crime graph.

(PTI)