ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for chemical castration and death penalty for convicted rapists during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, the information minister said, instructing the law ministry to draft an ordinance within a week to curb violent sexual crimes that mostly target women and children.
"The federal cabinet has approved in principle the rape law ... we want it to be a specific and clear law without any loopholes," Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said while briefing the media on Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance and Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, after the cabinet meeting.
The prime minister first advocated the use of chemical castration in September following the gang rape of a mother in front of her children on a major highway in Punjab province.
Faraz said the prime minister was disturbed by a recent incident in Sindh where a mother and her young daughter were raped by a group of men who lured the woman on the pretext of giving her a job.
"The number of rape cases is increasing," he admitted, hoping that the provisions of the proposed ordinance would act as an effective deterrent and prevent such incidents in the future.
If Pakistan legalizes chemical castration of rapists, it will join a small group of nations that allow such punishment, including Indonesia, Poland, Russia and Estonia, as well as some states in the United States.
Legal experts and rights activists previously told Arab News that harsh punishments were not likely to halt the rising tide of sexual violence in the country and the government needed to tackle a culture of misogyny.
Pakistan already has severe sentences for rape though they are seldom implemented: 10-25 years in prison for rape and life imprisonment or death for gang rape.
Sarah Zaman, a director at War Against Rape, a non-government organization based in Karachi, said rape was rampant in Pakistan due to systematic flaws to hold culprits accountable.
"Instead of increasing the punishments, we need to defeat the culture that encourages such crimes," she said.
Zaman also urged the government to strengthen the criminal justice system to increase the conviction rate in rape cases from the current four percent and to ensure "timely justice."
Pakistani PM principally approves chemical castration, death penalty for rape convicts
https://arab.news/53z7g
Pakistani PM principally approves chemical castration, death penalty for rape convicts
- Khan instructed the law ministry to prepare a stricter rape ordinance within a week while chairing the cabinet meeting
- Experts believe Pakistan needs to address the culture that encourages such crimes rather than impose stricter punishments
Pakistan warn England’s flaky batting to expect a trial by spin
- Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out
- A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka, through to the semis with a game to spare
Pallekele: Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting line-up to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash in the T20 World Cup Super Eights.
Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday.
Farhan said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground in Kandy on Tuesday night.
Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out.
A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka for 95 to win by 51 runs, through to the semifinals with a game to spare.
Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four.
“What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said the in-form opener Farhan on Monday.
“Sri Lanka have one or two spinners but we have five in all so we will give England a tough time on a pitch that looks good and will grip,” said Farhan.
Pakistan’s spinners have taken 26 wickets in the four matches so far. Their seamers have dismissed only seven batsmen.
History will be against Pakistan as they have never beaten England in three previous Twenty20 World Cup clashes.
“We are confident and our morale is high,” said Farhan, who scored an unbeaten 100 against Namibia in Pakistan’s final group match.
“We are focused on this match to win and progress.”
Farhan, who tops the T20 World Cup run-scoring chart with 220, said he was ready for the threat of England’s express pace bowler Jofra Archer.
“Facing Archer will not be difficult because I have faced similar bowlers in Pakistan,” said Farhan.
“So if he has plans against me, I also have plans against him.”
Pakistan are likely to bring in spinner Abrar Ahmed in place of seaming all-rounder Faheem Ashraf.
England may name an unchanged side for the fifth match in succession with Liam Dawson, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell providing their spin options.
Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the two other teams in Pakistan and England’s Super Eights group. They face each other in Colombo on Wednesday.
The top two teams will qualify for the semifinals.
