Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Friday revealed that Prime Minister Imran Khan had opposed the suggestion of publicly executing those involved in sexual assaults on women, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The government wasn’t introducing any legislation about public executions, said Mazari during an informal chat with media persons in Islamabad. “The prime minister has made it clear that there can’t be any hangings in public,” she added.

Opposing introduction of laws for the purpose, the prime minister said how such legislation could be introduced in the presence of international treaties.

About the measures to curb the menace, the federal minister said the government was taking steps to stop the trend of sexual assaults. Families of the raped women now cannot enter into deal in rape cases, she noted in this connection.

Mazari said women police would be part of investigating the rape cases in future, adding that the government was going to establish a rape centre to follow such cases in courts.    

This statement came just days after an interview in which Imran had said that rapists should be given exemplary punishments. “In my opinion, they should be hanged at the chowk (square)," he said, adding that the punishment should be reserved for rapists and those who abuse children.  

He said rapists should be handed down the most severe punishments to curb rising sexual violence in the country, such as either hanging them publicly or chemically castrating them.