Pakistan passes long awaited anti-honour killing legislation
Pakistan's National Assembly passed legislation Thursday closing a loophole that allowed people who killed in the name of ‘honour’ to go free, mandating life imprisonment even if the victim's relatives forgive the murder.
Honour killings ‘claim the lives of hundreds of victims every year’, the bill stated, adding that the legislation was ‘essential in order to prevent these crimes from being repeatedly committed’.
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan and the move follows a slew of high-profile killings in the country.
The assembly also passed a bill boosting the punishments for some rape offences.
Rape conviction rates are close to zero percent, largely due to the law's reliance on circumstantial evidence and a lack of forensic testing.
Pakistan's National Assembly passed legislation Thursday closing a loophole that allowed people who killed in the name of ‘honour’ to go free, mandating life imprisonment even if the victim's relatives forgive the murder.
Honour killings ‘claim the lives of hundreds of victims every year’, the bill stated, adding that the legislation was ‘essential in order to prevent these crimes from being repeatedly committed’.
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan and the move follows a slew of high-profile killings in the country.
The assembly also passed a bill boosting the punishments for some rape offences.
Rape conviction rates are close to zero percent, largely due to the law's reliance on circumstantial evidence and a lack of forensic testing.