MPs’ body approves changes in bills against honour killings, rapes

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee of the Joint Sittings on Bills on Thursday approved the amendment bills on the law against honour killings and rape after the government removed the reservations of its allied parties, including the JUI-F and opposition parties.

After getting approval of both the bills, the government will table them in a joint sitting of both the houses of parliament by the first half of August.

The meeting of the committee was chaired by Law Minister Zahid Hamid and reviewed the bills moved by former senator PPP Sughra Imam – the Amendment Bill Anti-Honour Killings Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2014 and Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2014.

Under the anti-honour killing bill, the clause giving pardon by family members to the person who kills in the name of honour is to be removed.Under the Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2014, whoever prints or publishes the name or any matter which may make known the identity of any person against whom an offence under Section 376 is alleged or found to have been committed (hereafter in this section referred to as the victim) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.

The anti-rape bill seeks to make a DNA test compulsory as part of the procedure and investigation in all rape cases.During the meeting, the officials of the law ministry gave a briefing to the committee on the amendments that were introduced in these bills and told to the committee that under the new amendments in the law, the punishments were made stricter.

Special Assistance to the PM Barrister Zafarullah Khan told the committee that honour killing was among the worst of the crimes.Naeema Kishwar of JUI-F said it was a sensitive issue as Islam never allows the torture on women but if ‘Qisas’ is removed, then it will be violation of Islamic teachings.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said if strict punishments are not imposed, then it will serve no purpose. Barrister Zafarullah replied that under the new amendments, the judges were bound that rather than using Section 309 and Section 310 for agreement between the parties they should announce their decision under Section 311.

Talking to newsmen after the meeting, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said that all these bills were deferred in the joint sitting of both the houses of parliament on the basis of reservations of the political parties.

He said the parliamentary committee took all the parties on the board and removed reservations of political parties and after consensus a legal shape was given to the bills.He said the arguments of religious parties on the issue of ‘Qisas” were accepted and it was decided that despite the right of Qisas, the convict has to spend 25 years in jails. He said there was need to protect the identity of the victim of rape and enhance punishment for the criminals.