On November 17, a joint session of the Pakistani parliament passed a bill to punish habitual rapists with “Chemical Castration”. Termed as the Criminal Law (Amendment), Bill 2021, it would amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 to add the provision of making habitual rapists incapable of performing sexual intercourse.
The bill read, “chemical castration is a process duly notified by rules framed by the prime minister, whereby a person is rendered incapable of performing sexual intercourse for any period of his life, as may be determined by the court through administration of drugs which shall be conducted through a notified medial board”.
During the joint session, Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill, 2021 was passed as well. It would enable the authorities to form special courts and use modern devices during the investigation and trial of rape cases. The special courts would be bound to complete the trial within four months.
These bills were introduced in the Pakistani parliament after the public outcry over surge in the rape cases across the country. The serial offenders would be added to the National Register under National Database and Registration Authority.
Bill termed as ‘anti-Sharia and un-Islamic’ by Islamist leader
Mushtaq Ahmed, Senator of Jamaat-i-Islami, had protested against the bill. He had termed it un-Islamic and against Sharia Law. While marking his protest, Ahmed claimed as there was no mention of castration in Sharia, passing such a bill would be against the Islamic law. On the contrary, he suggested that the rapists should be hanged publicly.