No more bail

According to the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act, 2021, sexual abuse against children was still a bailable offence in Pakistan and a medico-legal examination was not subject to a strict timeline. But the National Assembly has finally rectified this negligence through the Anti-Rape (Amendment) Bill, 2026 which focuses on three aspects of the previous bill: bail, victim protection and medical examination.

The word 'bail' does not appear anywhere in the 2021 act at all. This means that crimes falling under this act were subject to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). While rape offences were already non-bailable under the CrPC, it was not uncommon for courts to grant pre-arrest bail under a separate section of the CrPC. The 2026 bill now ensures the obstruction of such liberties, other than in "exceptional" circumstances.

Making rape offences non-bailable is an important step towards progress in granting thousands of rape victims the justice that they're casually and routinely denied - although it is not a blanket solution. While this bill makes it harder for accused persons to receive bail, in the end what matters is the interpretation of "exceptional circumstances". A legal system entirely rid of corrupt proclivities is the only longitudinal solution to guarantee that law sides with the victims and not the offenders.

The 2026 bill also mandates a forensic examination for child victims within 24 hours, whilst upholding the dignity, safety and privacy of the child. This added provision will hopefully deter a system that almost entirely operates on delays and importuning. The dignity of children is often undermined in such cases as they are seen as an extension of their parents, undeserving of individual respect and autonomy. The 2026 bill is, therefore, a small but significant step towards a system that respects victims for coming forward, in lieu of abandoning or even admonishing them.