National Assembly passes Zainab Alert Bill

The National Assembly on Wednesday has passed the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill with a majority vote.

The bill — named after nine-year-old Zainab Ansari, who was murdered after being raped in Kasur in 2018, Zainab Alert Recovery and Response Bill (ZARR), 2020 – that sentences life imprisonment with a penalty of Rs1 million as maximum and a sentence of 10 years as the minimum punishment to child perpetrators.

The Senate had also given its approval to the legislation last week that seeks to expedite investigation and punishment for perpetrators of child abuse.

Bill was tabled by Federal Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari in the lower house on Wednesday, after getting approval from the upper house of parliament last week.

The bill now awaits the president of Pakistan’s assent before its implementation as legislation.

After the implementation of the lasted passed bill, all cases involving the kidnapping, rape, and murder of minor children will be required to complete investigations within three months.