The writer is a freelance journalist based in Lahore.
THE global campaign, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, from Nov 25 to Dec 10, is behind us. So, what did Pakistan gain from it this time? Easily the best bit extracted is the anti-rape ordinance of four months, after which it awaits parliamentary approval.
President Arif Alvi promulgated the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020, on Dec 15, 2020, which creates special courts and a national sex offender registry with the help of Nadra, promises speedy justice, sets up a crisis cell for medico-legal examination within six hours of the incident, and makes disclosing the victim’s identity a punishable offence.