Pakistan's senate has reportedly been asked to pass the bill to re-introduce public executions for anyone who rapes or kidnaps children under the age of 14.
The request follows the killing of Zainab Ansari, a six-year-old girl whose body was found in a rubbish dump after she was kidnapped in Kasur, East Pakistan, on her way to class.
According to Dawn News, the proposed amendments involve changes to the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in relation to punishments for the offence of the kidnapping of children - seeking to amend the Pakistan Penal Code Act 1860's Section 364-A so that the punishment for the crime is a public execution
Rehman Malik has said that an example needs to be made of Zainab's murderer.
The suspect, known only as 'Imran' has been arrested after his DNA matched samples found on Zainab's body, as confirmed in a news conference in Lahore. Officials say that the suspect has confessed to the killing.
Advert
A police district official told Al Jazeera: "The suspect's name is Imran and he lives in the same [area] where Zainab lived. He was arrested before, but was released as we did not have evidence. After that he shaved his beard off so that no one could recognise him."
Zainab was kidnapped earlier this month when walking to a Koran class, while her parents were away on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. She and her siblings were being looked after by aunts and uncles.
CCTV footage shows her being led away by a suspect - five days before her body was found about a mile away from her home in east Pakistan.
Zainab's family have claimed that the police did not take action after they reported her missing, and it was actually relatives that recovered the footage of her last movements.
Advert
According to Sahil, an organisation documenting child abuse in Pakistan, there were 4,139 cases of child sexual abuse reported in the country in 2016. The organisation gathers figures by tracking reports in national media, but Munizae Bano - Sahil's executive director - also explained that most cases go unreported.
Since Zainab's body has been found, many people have taken to the streets to condemn the tragic rape and killing, while also calling out the government and police officials for not doing more to protect children in the area.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: World News, News, Pakistan