ISLAMABAD:
A Senate subcommittee approved a bill proposing stricter penalties for rape, including a minimum of 25 years’ imprisonment and a fine of one million rupees or the death penalty.
The legislation aims to create stronger deterrents against sexual violence in Pakistan. The meeting of the subcommittee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, was held in Parliament on Tuesday.
The committee considered Senator Mohsin Aziz’s amendment to the CrPC Code, which includes recommendations to increase punishment in cases of rape.
Senator Aziz proposed that convicted rapists should remain imprisoned for life, literally until their last breath.
During the session, it was revealed that the Islamabad Capital Territory and the Sindh government were opposed to the bill. The Sindh authorities even considered the proposed sanction “absurd”.
President Zehri, however, strongly supported the proposed amendments, saying that perpetrators of such heinous crimes must serve as an example. “While the real criminals are on the loose, police often imprison individuals targeted for financial gain,” she noted.
The committee was briefed by the Special Secretary for the Interior, who noted that although the death penalty existed for rape under existing laws, its application was limited due to international agreements and obligations, including those falling under GSP status.
