KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly condemning the rape and killing of a four-year-old girl, Asma, in Mardan, has demanded that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to give exemplary punishment to culprits.

Saira Shahliani of the PPP and Heer Ismail Soho of the MQM tabled separate resolutions on the subject on Thursday.

The resolutions, which were signed by legislators, termed such incidents humiliation of humanity and recommended to the Sindh government to approach the KP government for arrest of criminal(s) and constitution of special courts to carry out speedy trial.

After brief speeches by the movers, the house passed both resolutions unanimously.

‘Such acts should be condemned in Friday sermons’

Before adoption of the resolutions, Senior Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro said the criminal procedure code and the Pakistan Penal Code had become outdated and they did not meet the challenges of modern day crimes.

He added that the Sindh government should carry out necessary legislation if the federal government did not act.

“Unfortunately, perpetrators of such crimes always escape punishment,” he said.

Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, who presided over the session, observed that such incidents took place in civilised countries also but their numbers were coming down because of deterrent convictions without inordinate delay.

“We must show zero tolerance if we want to reduce such criminal acts in our society,” she said.

Rauf Siddiqui of the MQM said: “The Sindh government exercising its own authority should make it obligatory for prayer leaders to speak in Friday sermons against such heinous crimes.”

He suggested that the area SHO be held responsible for such crimes and if he failed to arrest and produce culprits within three days, his services be terminated.

Saira Shaliani said she had tabled the resolution on behalf of the Sindh Women Parliamentarian caucus.

Heer Soho said the Zainab incident of Kasur was fresh when another incident took place in Mardan with a four-year-old girl and the culprits were roaming free.

Dilwar Qureshi of the MQM, while referring to demolition of houses along three canals in Hyderabad, suggested compensation and allotment of land to the affected families as had been done in Sukkur.

Khurram Sherzaman raised the issue of Naqeebullah of South Waziristan, who was killed among four in a police encounter led by SSP Rao Anwar.

Yusuf Shalwani and Saifuddin Khalid raised the issue of District West where sewerage was in poor condition and gutters were overflowing, thus polluting drinking water pipelines.

Nusrat Sehar Abbasi raised the issue of doctors working on contracts awaiting regularisation since 2014.

Three bills were also introduced but they were referred to the standing committees concerned with the directive to report back to the house within a week with their recommendations.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2018