‘Include strict clauses in stripping case’

Islamabad :The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on Monday urged the KP government to register FIR against the perpetrators of girl stripping in DI Khan under section 354-A of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

In a statement issues by the Commission, the federal body notes with concern that the FIR has been registered against the perpetrators under 354, 342, 148 and 149 of PPC while ignoring section 354-A, the clause which makes the offence non-bailable and non- compoundable.

The statement says that the commission has already written a follow up letter to the IG Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa demanding change in FIR to include the relevant clauses.  

The Commission appreciated the summoning of concerned SHO on alleged support to the accused but also calls upon the provincial government to suspend the current SHO and depute an investigation officer from outside the region to avoid the chances of any injustice done to the victim on the basis of local or political links.

On October 27, 2017, a teenage girl was stripped and paraded around the streets of Dera Ismail Khan’s Matt area, to pay the price for her brother’s crime. A case has been registered against the perpetrators and eight suspects have been arrested so far. However the prime suspect is still not arrested.

The statement says that the NCSW strongly believes in the fact that any lenient view towards this heinous act could raise major concern over safety and security of women in the county. “Therefore, the NCSW urges the intervention of IG KP government to ensure impartial investigation and inclusion of relevant section of law in the FIR along with the accurate facts.”