WHAT IS ZAINAB ALERT BILL 2020

In the month of July 2018 a seven years old beautifull baby girl was murdered after a rape while her parents was on abroad to perform the Umrah.

Her death was shocking news for her parents and all over the Pakistan and many protests waves recorded across the Pakistan to give the justice to this little angle.

The government law enforcement agencies become more active and caught the killer of her after the judicial activity the killer sentenced to death penalty as serial killer of babies.

The parliament of Pakistan decided to pass a bill the Zainab Alert, Response, and Recovery Act, 2020, finally it is passed eight months after it was presented in the National Assembly.

The bill has been forwarded to the Senate for final approval. After approvals of the bill it will become the law of Pakistan constitution.

Main clause of Zainab Alert Act, 2020

1. The child protection act is limited to only federal Islamabad, and it defines anyone under 18 years as a ‘child.’
2. The law proposes the establishment of a Zainab Alert, Response, and Recovery Agency (ZARRA). The Prime Minister will appoint the head of this agency
3. The agency will maintain the database of missing and abducted children.
4. A dedicated helpline, 1099, will be set up, which will forward all reported cases to the Agency.
5. ZARRA will issue alerts across the capital whenever a missing case is reported. The ‘alert call’ will include information such as missing child’s physical characteristics, habits, clothes, etc. All the relevant agencies will be engaged and the public at large.
6. An information message will be generated in coordination with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The information will be disseminated through all electronic and print media, as well as radio stations.
7. The agency will also compile a monthly performance report. This report will be shared publicly on ZARRA’s website.
8. The data on missing and abducted children will be made accessible to the public through a mobile application.
9. To keep a close watch on ZARRA’s performance from registration of an FIR to the safe recovery of a child, a Child Protection Advisory Board will be established.
10. If such a case is reported at any police station, the SHO will be bound to inform ZARRA immediately, within two hours of the registration.
11. The bill proposes life incarceration as the maximum sentence for a perpetrator and the minimum conviction of 10 years.