SA Passes Rape DNA Testing, Two Other Bills

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 02nd Feb, 2017 ) : The Sindh Assembly Thursday passed three bills into law unanimously, including a bill pertaining to DNA Testing in Rape cases and a resolution.

The provincial assembly passed the The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment), The Sindh Arms (Amendment) and The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) bills. The session started with the recitation from the Holy Quran and Naat with Acting Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza in the chair.

Two bills were moved by Senior Minister for food and Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and one on Motor Vehicles by Transport Minister Syed Nasir Shah. PPP MPA Sharmila Farooqui, speaking on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) bill, said that this bill will help bring rape culprits to justice.

Sharmila further said that the Sindh government should establish its own DNA Testing Laboratory, particularly in Karachi, to provide victims of rape speedy justice. She called for action against any police officer who fails to collect samples within 72 hours.

She suggested that women who become victim of rape should be provided moral and financial support. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has always raised its voice for the rights and welfare of the women, she added.

MQM-Pakistan MPA Faisal Sabswari appealed to the Ulema to support the legislation.

PML-Functional MPA Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said that this issue was the most important one, therefore, it should be implemented in letter and spirit.

PTI MPA Dr. Seema Zia said that DNA Testing laboratories be established at divisional level for providing speedy justices to victims. Sindh Minister for Health Dr. Sikandar Mandhro supported the bill and said that a state-of-the-art DNA Testing Laboratory has been set up at Liaquat Medical University, Jamshoro.

"Now, we do not have to send collected samples to Islamabad or Lahore for testing purpose, he added. Nisar Khuhro, speaking about Arms (Amendment) bill, said that the Sindh government always issues non-prohibited arms.

"We want to facilitate employees as they can proect themselves," he added. The amendment to this bill is to provide employees with arms for their self-protection who belong to other provinces but performing their duties in Sindh, he said.

MQM-P MPA Syed Sardarm Ahmed objected to the amendment bill and asked why those officers do not get arms licenses from their own provinces. Earlier, Minister for Excise and Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla replied to the questions regarding his department during question hour.