Senate Approves Tougher Child Pornography and Assault Victim Laws

Islamabad: The Senate has approved amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and several other key legal reforms.

The PECA amendment bill allows the federal government to enter into mutual legal assistance treaties with countries whose social media applications are used in Pakistan.

A separate criminal law amendment was also approved, introducing penalties for hospitals that fail to provide medical examinations to sexual assault victims. Under the new law, failing to provide initial medical care to a boy or girl who has been raped may result in up to one year in prison and a fine. Both private and public hospitals can be penalised for denying immediate medical attention, and private hospitals are now required to refer the victim to a public hospital within 24 hours.

The Senate also passed the Anti-Electronic Crimes Amendment Bill, which increases the maximum sentence for producing or distributing child pornography from seven to ten years and raises fines from 5 million to 10 million rupees.

In addition, the Senate approved Samina Zehri’s Family Court Amendment Bill and Sherry Rehman’s bill banning plastic covers on books in Islamabad.

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