ISLAMABAD, Jan 21 (EPI): The Senate Sub-Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, convened today at Parliament House to discuss \u201cThe Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024,\u201d moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz.<\/p>\n
The meeting was attended by Senator Mohsin Aziz and Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, the Special Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, and Senior Draftsman from the Ministry of Law and Justice.<\/p>\n
Senator Mohsin Aziz, the Mover of the bill emphasized the devastating impact of sexual assaults on victims and highlighted the critical need for the proposed amendment. Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the Convener of the Sub-Committee while supporting this viewpoint, expressed concern over societal cruelty toward rape victims.<\/p>\n
Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri also objected to the inclusion of terms such as \u201cphysical condition\u201d in the explanations provided by the Chief Commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), which stated, \u201cThe existing punishment in sub-section (3) is sufficient as there may be many mitigating circumstances like age, material, or physical condition.\u201d<\/p>\n
She argued that the term “physical condition” is inappropriate, stating that individuals capable of committing heinous crimes like rape cannot use such conditions as mitigating factors.<\/p>\n
The Committee further deliberated on provincial stances regarding the Bill. While Punjab and Balochistan supported the proposed amendment, Sindh opposed it, citing inconsistencies with sections 53 and 57 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860.<\/p>\n
Sindh argued that the proposed punishment in section 376(3) would be impractical without amending these sections to align with the prescribed types and fractions of imprisonment.<\/p>\n
Following a comprehensive discussion, the Committee members unanimously agreed to amend the punishment to include: \u201cor imprisonment for life but shall not be less than 25 years, along with fine that shall not be less than 1 million rupees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ends-Exact Press International-<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"