President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday signed the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill, 2020.
The bill will provide a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of Rs1 million to any one involved in child abuse.
The president said on Twitter after signing the bill, “I have just signed the Zainab Alert Bill into a law. An excellent law for rapid response & recovery in cases of child kidnappings.”
Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Agency (ZARRA) would be established to issue an alert for a missing child. It would work closely with the helpline 1099 or such other relevant helplines.
The agency will coordinate with all relevant federal and provincial authorities and law enforcement agencies, and maintain an online database of all children reported missing or abducted with their current status.