Sex offenders convicted of multiple rapes in Pakistan could face chemical sterilization after parliament passed a new law. The move is aimed at expedite punishment and stringent punishment. The bill has been brought in the wake of public outcry against the recent rise in the incidents of rape of women and children in the country and the growing demands to effectively curb the crime.
The bill comes nearly a year after President Arif Alvi ratified the ordinance passed by the Pakistani cabinet. The bill calls for setting up of special courts for speedy trial and chemical neuter of the convict with the consent of the convict. According to 'Dawn' newspaper, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2021 Bill was passed along with 33 other bills in the joint session of Parliament on Wednesday. The newspaper reported that it wants to amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.
According to the Bill, “Chemical castration is a process duly notified by rules made by the Prime Minister, whereby a person is rendered incapable of sexual intercourse for any period of his life, as may be prescribed. that may be prescribed by the court through the administration of drugs which shall be done through a notified medical board.” Jamaat-e-Islami MP Mushtaq Ahmed opposed the bill and called it un-Islamic and against Sharia. He said that the rapist should be hanged in public but there is no mention of neuter in Sharia.
Chemically neuter is the use of drugs to reduce sexual function. According to media reports, it is a legal form of punishment in South Korea, Poland, the Czech Republic and some states of the United States of America. Critics say that less than four percent of cases of sexual assault or rape in Pakistan result in conviction.
Under chemical castration, such drugs are given, which reduce sexual activity. Chemical castration is legal in South Korea, Poland, the Czech Republic, and some US states. However, critics also say that only 4 percent of cases of sexual assault and rape in Pakistan lead to conviction.
