ISLAMABAD: The Senate, upper house of the parliament, on Friday passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2015 aimed at providing protection to the children against sexual assault and other crimes against minors.

The bill was tabled by Minister for Human Rights Zahid Hamid in the House. The law criminalises assault against children, child pornography and trafficking.

The Statement and Objects of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2015 says that Pakistan ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1990 and is under obligation to implement its provision by harmonizing national policies legislations programmes plans of action with it and report progress to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child Geneva after every year.

The provisions provided in criminal law statutes previously failed to cover number of very serious offenses against the person of a child like child pornography, exposure to seduction, sexual abuse cruelty to a child and trafficking.

The amendments in the Pakistan Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure have been proposed while keeping in mind the international obligations and domestic realities.