ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday approved ‘Islamabad Capital Territory Child Protection Bill of 2018’, ‘ The Women in Distress and Detention Fund(Amendment) Bill of 2017’, ‘Juvenile Justice System Bill of 2018’ and ‘The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill of 2018’. These bills have already been passed by the National Assembly. The committee was presided over by its chairman, Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, and was attended among others by Senators Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo, Keshoo Bai, Prof. Dr. Meher Taj Roghani, Sana Jamali, Dr. Jahanzeb Jamaldini and Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar. The chairman of the committee observed that incidents of child abuse had raised many eyebrows and there was a dire need to carry out a legislation to keep a check on such incidents in the federal capital. The secretary for the Ministry of Human Rights informed the committee about the salient features of the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Protection Bill of 2017. He said that the bill provided for protection and care of children from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect in compliance with constitutional provisions and international obligations of the country. She said that provinces already had their respective child protection laws, whereas Islamabad Capital Territory needed a separate legislation for protection of children. “There is no legal mechanism at ICT level to protect the rights of the children.” The committee approved the bill after the detailed briefing by the Ministry. During the discussion on the Women in Distress and Detention Fund (Amendment) Bill of 2018, the committee was informed that the Fund was established in 1996 and since then the Board of Governors could not hold a single meeting. The committee expressed their shock on learning about that. The ministry further informed the committee that the size of the BoG was too large which made it difficult to convene a meeting; however, through the amendment, the size of the BoG had been reduced to a reasonable number for smooth functioning. The committee, after detailed discussion, unanimously approved the bill. Later, the committee also gave approval to the ‘Juvenile Justice System Bill of 2018’ providing an appropriate mechanism for juvenile justice. In the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill of 2018, punishment for cases related to sexual abuse of children has been increased. The Ministry of Interior informed the committee that the Criminal Law (Amendment), Bill, 2018 aimed to increase the punishment for child pornography and sexual abuse of minors. Published in Daily Times, May 10th 2018.