ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed today that the National Disaster Management Authority has been carrying out relief and rescue operation in the rain hit areas across the country.

Responding to a calling attention notice, Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan said currently Chairman NDMA, Lt. General Muhammad Afzal, along with teams of experts, is visiting Sindh to personally monitor the relief efforts.

He said food packages and tents have also been distributed among the rain affected people across Pakistan.

Later, the House resumed discussion on the situation arising out of unfortunate crime of gang rape against a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway.

Taking part in the discussion, Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain stressed the need to reform the justice system in Pakistan to increase conviction rate in rape cases to prevent such inhuman acts in the society.

He said a rape victim should be treated as victim of violence and women investigation officer should be appointed to handle these cases.

The House passed the “Anti-Terrorism (Third Amendment) Bill, 2020.”

The bill moved by Faheem Khan is aimed at addressing the issue of terror financing.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was also introduced in the House. The bill, introduced by Amjad Ali Khan, proposes amendments in the Pakistan Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, penalizing the intentional ridiculing and defaming of the armed forces of Pakistan or any of its member.

A person guilty of such offence will be punished with imprisonment for a term up to two years or fined for up to five hundred thousand rupees.

The purpose of this amendment is to prevent hatred and disrespectful behavior against the armed forces.