[Current Affairs] November 25,2020 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for PPSC Test Preparation

2. The govt’s new anti-rape laws

What’s going on? The federal cabinet approved, in-principle, two anti-rape ordinances. The ordinances expand the definition of rape, and recommend exemplary punishment for rapists. These punishments include chemical castration and hanging (P.S. not in public). The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will also maintain a registry of sex offenders to help track down perpetrators of sex crimes.

The details: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is a strong advocate of severe penalties for rapists. He even proposed public hangings to reduce the rising number of sex crimes in the country. The anti-rape laws are expanding the definition of rape to include “transgender and gang-rape.” The laws also aim to:

• Ensure faster trials in rape cases

• Protect witnesses

• Protect sexual assault survivors

• Assign special high-ranking officers to investigate rape cases

Tell me more: The proposed laws will also end the controversial two-finger test (i.e. hymen test), which examines sexual assault survivors. This virginity test measures the size and elasticity of female genitalia. The test reportedly has little scientific merit, since the appearance of a hymen is not a reliable indication of intercourse. Instead, the test is known to traumatize rape survivors.

Reminder: Some of the most recent rape incidents this year include:

• The motorway gang-rape: In September, two robbers allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint on the motorway. She was traveling from Lahore to Gujranwala with her children.

• The Charsadda rape case: In October, a two-year-old girl named Zainab went missing in Charsadda, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Later on, police recovered her body. Hospital sources reportedly confirmed she was raped.

• The Kashmore rape case: This month, a woman met prime suspect, Rafiq Malik, in Kashmore to follow up on a job prospect. She claimed that he raped her, and then gave her to another man who also raped her. Later on Malik reportedly confessed that he raped the woman and her minor daughter.

The context: Activists and legal experts argue that existing severe punishments haven’t deterred rape crimes. In their opinion, the problem is the conviction rate. Perpetrators apparently know there is a small chance they’ll be convicted.

The bottom line: The ordinances will be finalized in a week. The point is to make laws tougher and more compressive when dealing with rape and child abuse crimes.

4. How soon can we expect 5G in Pakistan? 

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications, Syed Amin-ul-Haque, said the govt plans to launch 5G mobile phone connectivity in Pakistan by December 2022. However, experts think Haque’s estimated timeline is too ambitious. The existing 4G network still hasn’t reached more than half of the population. Plus, there’s a lack of infrastructure to support a 5G network. According to Former Secretary General of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), Shehryar Hydri, if the govt launches 5G in limited areas by 2022, it’ll take three to five years to expand 5G services across the country. In fact, Hydri thinks a full-scale rollout could even take five to seven years since telecom companies have to invest in network upgrades and 5G licenses, while consumers need to wait for budget-friendly 5G compatible phones.

• Backstory: Earlier this month, Haque made an experimental 5G video call from Islamabad to Beijing. He was pretty happy with the voice and video quality.