Rapists should be publicly hanged or chemically castrated: PM Imran

 

Prime Minister Imran Khan says rapists should be handed down the foremost severe punishments to curb rising sexual violence within the country, like either hanging them publicly or chemically castrating them.

The premier expressed the views during an interview with Moeed Pirzada on 92 News HD broadcast on Monday, in response to an issue about the motorway gang-rape case that caused an outpouring of anger across the country and brought sexual violence against women into national focus.

Prime Minister Imran said the motorway rape had "shaken the whole nation" because the victim could are anyone's sister or daughter.

He said he was "shocked" to seek out from the police that sex crimes within the country were rising greatly.

"They (rapists) should tend exemplary punishments. In my opinion, they ought to be hanged at the chowk (piazza)," he said, adding that this punishment should be reserved for rapists and people who abuse children.

Related: Motorway rape case: Why involves public hangings are a part of the matter 

"Unfortunately, once we had the discussion, [we were] told it might not be internationally acceptable," he said of public hangings. "They said the GSP-Plus trade status given to us by the ecu Union are going to be affected."

He said an alternative choice was to "chemically or surgically castrate" rapists, consistent with the degree of the crime, "as is completed by many countries".

Prime Minister Imran noted that the first suspect within the motorway rape, Abid Ali, was previously involved during a gang-rape in 2013 also . "We need fresh legislation to permanently sterilise such [criminals]," he said.

The premier regretted that there was no registry of sex offenders within the country, which led to a convicted paedophile from a eu country entering Pakistan and sexually abusing children here.

He said sexual crimes should be fought by the whole society, and not just police. "World history tells once you increase fahashi (vulgarity) within the society, two things happen: sex crimes increase and therefore the family system breaks down," he added.

Citing an example, he said the divorce rate in England shot up to 70 per cent at the present as vulgarity increased there.

Compared to the West, "our family system is unbroken . we will fix our justice system and therefore the institutions but if our family system breaks down, we'll not be ready to rebuild it," the premier stressed, saying New Delhi too has become the "rape capital" of the planet thanks to obscenity in Bollywood.

He said he had pushed for Turkish blockbuster Ertuğrul to be broadcast on Pakistani television because he wanted to prove that Islamic and historical family programmes might be popular within the country too.

Usman Buzdar's 'only weakness'

The prime minister in his answers also defended Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, who has been the target of increased criticism by the opposition in recent weeks.

Asked whether Buzdar was effectively running the country's largest province, the premier said: "Usman Buzdar has just one weakness ... he's not media-savvy. He can't promote himself on media [and] he doesn't spend billions of rupees on his own publicity like [PML-N president] Shehbaz Sharif.

"Unfortunately, there are a couple of people within [the government] who want to become the chief minister and that they too undermine [Buzdar]."

The prime minister said Buzdar wasn't corrupt and was during a difficult position handling a "politicised" bureaucracy and police.

Addressing the frequent changes and transfers at the highest level in Punjab, Imran said the changes will continue if they assist the govt provide a far better system to the general public .

Prime Minister Imran further said those "raising a hue and cry" over the appointment of Lahore Capital City policeman Umer Sheikh should ask why there was a requirement to bring him within the first place.

"In many places, police is hand in glove with the 'qabza group' (land mafia) at the lower level. We are changing [top officials] because people are trapped by qabza groups," he explained.

He said although former Punjab captain Shoaib Dastgir had done a "good job", "in the top the prerogative [to replace officials] is of the chief executive."

"The people of Punjab will eventually ask whether police protected their lives and property, not what percentage [police chiefs] were replaced," he added.

'Opportunity to repair Karachi's woes'

Among other issues discussed during the interview, the prime minister also shed light on the government's efforts to resolve Karachi's municipal and infrastructure issues.

Asked about the wrangling between the federal and Sindh governments over the Rs1.1 trillion package announced for Karachi by him, Imran said: "I am not conscious of Sindh government's problems. But i do know after the [post-rain] devastation in Karachi, all the stakeholders sat and decided to resolve Karachi's main problems with water system , waste disposal, sewerage, transport and cleaning nullahs."

"Karachi is Pakistan's engine of growth. When Karachi sneezes, entire Pakistan catches a chilly ," he added.

He said the recent losses caused by torrential rains within the city had become an "opportunity" to repair its problems, adding that each one stakeholders had been given the deadline of three years to finish the tasks that are a part of the Karachi Transformation Plan.

In response to an issue , he said grievances regarding Karachi's census might be valid, but questioned whether now was the time for a recount of the city's population. the most issue, he added, is the way to run cities like Karachi in order that they generate their own funds and fix their own issues.

The prime minister said Karachi was "non-functional" because the provincial government was elected from rural Sindh and controls the funds, while Karachi has no empowered system of its own.