SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Senate has passed four bills including anti-honour killings and anti-rape laws. The upper House passed Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2014, and Anti-Honour Killings Laws (Criminal LawsAmendment) Bill, 2014, moved by Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Senator Syeda Sughra Imam. One can guess the gravity of the situation from the figures quoted by the Senator during her speech in the upper House. She stated that 432 women were reportedly killed in the name of honour in Pakistan in 2012, 705 in 2011, 557 in 2010, 604 in 2009 and 475 women were killed in 2008. These figures do not include unreported cases or, indeed, the number of men who are often killed alongside women in the name of honour. Honour killings are one of the most psychologically complex, sociologically complicated, morally distressing and legally challenging violent crimes against humanity. Such crimes have been happening throughout history all over the world in many communities, countries and cultures but their number is awfully increasing in our society because of ignorance and prejudices. Similarly, the incidents of rape and gang-rape are also on the rise but attitude of the authorities and especially that of the Police remains indifferent, thus compounding the problem and in a way encouraging perpetrators of such crimes. The society stands brutalized due to a number of factors and reasons and a multi-pronged strategy is required to address the problem on a sustainable basis. However, adoption of the two bills by the Senate is a step in the right direction and we hope that the lower House too would clear them without any delay so as to tighten noose against those who indulge in such crimes. Another thing that is also associated with such laws is the role of Police, which is quite crucial. Police high ups needs to thoroughly investigate such cases and bring the culprits to the justice. Until police plays its role effectively, such laws and legislations are useless.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
