Plea for harsh punishments in rape, murder cases

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Thursday sought assistance from the attorney general of Pakistan on a petition seeking amendment to existing laws to introduce harsh punishments for the convicts of rape and murder of minors including public hanging.

Justice Shahid Jamil Khan was hearing the petition filed by a senior lawyer in wake of recent incident of rape-cum-murder in Kasur. Barrister Javed Iqbal Jafree pleaded in his petition that increasing incidents of child sexual abuse had been causing a great of sense of fear and distrust among the citizens. He believed that unavailability of harsh punishment for the perpetrators was the main reason for rise in such incidents. He said punishment for the rapists and killers must be harsh enough to create deterrence in society otherwise, controlling such crimes would become almost impossible. The lawyer said since the existing criminal laws did not carry sentence of public hangings, which had become a dire need of the time to curb sexual abuse of the children. He asked the court to order federal government to introduce amendment in the laws and insert punishment of “public hanging” for those convicted in cases of raping and killings minors. Justice Khan adjourned hearing of the petition till February 13 and sought assistance from the attorney general.