The Senate of Pakistan rejected a bill seeking to publicly execute individuals convicted of rape, with a majority vote on Monday. The bill, titled the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2023, proposed to amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.
The bill, presented by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, was supported by Senators Mehr Taj Roghani, Kamran Murtaza, Maulana Faiz Muhammad, Hafiz Abdul Kareem, Kamal Ali Agha, Abdul Qadir, and others. However, the bill was rejected with a 24:14 vote.
Senators who voted against the bill argued that it would not deter sexual crimes and could lead to more violence in society. Pakistan Peoples Party’s Senator Sherry Rehman strongly opposed the bill, calling it a counter-effective measure in deterring sexual crimes. She urged improved prosecutions and investigations to address the matter.Senators who supported the bill argued that it would serve as a deterrent and would help reduce sexual crimes. However, their arguments were not convincing enough to win the majority vote.