ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a bill providing up to one-year imprisonment and up to Rs 50,000 penalty for the person found guilty of inflicting corporal punishment on children.

The bill was moved by Attiya Inayatullah, which was later passed by the house.

According to the objects and reasons, the bill is aimed at protecting dignity of the children as human rights.

It says that the corporal or physical punishment is common and rampant in local schools and is also found in care institutions. Moreover, it is also used as form of showing control, intimidation and authority.

“For children, life is never easy of fair, therefore, within the institutional framework of the classroom, corporal punishment must be banned and replaced with constructive and communicative approach,” the bill states.

Similarly, in child care institutions, corporal punishment can become a form of abuse and the bill would ensure elimination of corporal punishment.