PESHAWAR: A child protection court here on Monday sentenced a cleric to 10 years rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs1 million for assaulting a minor boy early this year.

The judge pronounced that the evidence on record connected Qari Habibur Rehman with commission of the offence.

Peshawar’s Inqilab police station had registered an FIR on March 16, 2021 against the accused under section 53 (child sexual abuse) of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, and section 377 (unnatural sexual offence) of Pakistan Penal Code for sexually assaulting a minor boy at a seminary.

The court ordered that in case of default on payment of fine the convict would spend one more year in prison.

The court, however, extended him the benefit of section 382-B of the CrPC, under which the period of his imprisonment prior to conviction would be counted as his prison term.

The state prosecutor contended that the accused was directly charged in the FIR and the evidence proved his involvement in the offence.

He stated that testimony of prosecution witnesses also supported the case.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021