Law and Justice ministry finalise two Bills Anti-Honour Killings Laws

Lahore : The Parliamentary Committee of the Joint Sitting met on Thursday under the Chairpersonship of the Minister for Law and Justice, Zahid Hamid to discuss and finalise two Bills on The Anti-Honour Killings Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2015, and The Anti Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2015. The Committee consisting of representatives MQM, JUI (F), PPPP, and PTI examined the two bills as passed by the Senate.

Two private members’ Bills on Anti-Rape as tabled by MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Secretary Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, and as moved by the former Senator Sughra Imam and passed by the Senate were extensively examined together by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The proposed amendments in the two bills, after careful review by the Ministry, were either retained, dropped or amalgamated in the Committee meeting. 

The Ministry for Law and Justice proposed its amendments to the Bill, that were accepted after thorough deliberations. During the meeting, MNA Naeema Kishwer Khan of JUI (F) and an active member of the WPC, representing her party leader, underscored the need to ensure that the language of the Bill must be gender neutral to include all segments of the society including transgenders who equally are sexually exploited. Her proposal was accepted and the language of the Bill will now include the terms ‘person’ or ‘victim’ instead of ‘woman’.  

The Bill further includes, for the first time, DNA test in cases of rape that would ensure that the accused cannot go scot free. It also seeks severe punishments for anyone revealing the identity of the rape victim so as to ensure protection from societal stigmatisation. 

The two bills had earlier been deferred in the joint sitting of the two Houses of the Parliament on account of certain reservations of some political parties.

MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik was invited to the meeting as a mover of her bill in the National Assembly. The report of the Committee shall be tabled before the Joint Sitting of the two Houses of the Parliament being convened shortly.