STOCK IMAGE
The United States has welcomed the unanimous passage of the bill against honour killings by Pakistan’s parliament. In a statement issued over the weekend, the US State Department spokesman John Kirby asserted: “We commend the efforts of the government of Pakistan to end this practice.”
In all fact, this legislation is, indeed, a life-changing step towards protecting women and girls in Pakistan and promoting their full participation in the Pakistani society. But the government must comprehend that we are not done in safeguarding the rights and lives of women yet.
Raising social awareness and holding perpetrators accountable are critical next steps towards this effort, and we will need continual support from the government, the authorities and also the United Nations.
This newly passed anti-honour killing bill mandates life imprisonment for those who kill women over honour, most of whom are members of the victims’ family. The law also declares rape of minors and people with disabilities a crime punishable by death.
In an attempt to cover all bases, the new law duly makes tampering with evidence and hampering investigation criminal acts, and punishes the guilty with three years of imprisonment.
This bill is surely a green flag towards us being a step closer to curbing heinous crimes such as rape, murder and torture of women by ruthless perpetrators who previously would be left off the hook easily. But no more.
This is a big win and should be celebrated; rarely do we see the state actively and passionately working to protect a group which makes almost half of the total population.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2016.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ