Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered the Ministry of Interior to fast-track the process for tabling a bill against torture in the National Assembly.

In a tweet posted on Thursday morning, the prime minister said the menace of torture is unacceptable in a civilised society and it also goes against the spirit of Islam. “It is against our Constitution and other international legal commitments,” Imran Khan added.

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1301369266407706626

Earlier in January, the Ministry of Human Rights had said that it would present a bill against torture. Minister for Human rights Dr Shireen Mazari had maintained that the federal government’s commitment to making the police citizen-centric and gender-sensitive by resolving legislative, infrastructural and attitudinal challenges of the police.

She had also committed to depoliticize the police by introducing a merit-based system and a modern police law replacing 157 years old colonial law of 1861.

https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1301384003036106753

In a tweet posted on Wednesday, the prime minister directed the relevant authorities to make arrangements for the early release of female prisoners both under-trial and convicted in light of the Supreme Court’s orders.

He said the decision to implement the Supreme Court’s Order 299/2020 was taken after consultation with Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan and eminent lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar.