ISLAMABAD: The Joint Sitting of the Parliament on Thursday passed the much awaited Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences in the name or on the pretext of Honor) Bill, 2016 aimed at preventing killing of women in the name of honor by making the crime a non-compoundable offence.
Farhatullah Babar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had moved the bill further to amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 [The Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences in the name or on the pretext of Honor) Bill, 2016] as reported by the Committee of Joint Sitting on Bills.
The proposed legislation on honor killings has introduced strict punishment for the convicts making it tougher than the ordinary murder cases. Under the new law the convict in honor killing cases will have to face 25 years life imprisonment even if the relatives of the victims reach an agreement with the convict and pardon him or her.
Under the existing law, a murderer can be released after the legal heirs pardon him.
But the proposed legislation on honor killings recommends 25 years imprisonment even if the heirs of the victim pardon the convict.
Moving the bill in the House, Farhatullah Babar said the bill is aimed at preventing killing of women in the name of honor.
The religious parties had objected the bill with an argument to do away with the compoundable clause. But, Farhatullah Babar had argued that Islam never allows killing of anyone with ulterior motives.
He said issue of compoundability was not an issue of ideology rather it was a political issue. The proposed law would be a step forward to stop honor killing as there were shortcomings in the present law. —APP
