Honour killing law compact, needs no amendment: Wasi
ISLAMABAD, March 05, 2005: The Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have already been amended to deal with honour killing cases and there is no need to amend the existing law further, said Law and Justice Minister Wasi Zafar.
In a statement on Friday, the minister clarified the position with regard to a proposed bill by Kashmala Tariq, which has been rejected by the National Assembly.
The minister said Section 302 of the PPC had been amended and an honour killing crime had been categorised under intentional murder and punishment for the crime was either death or life imprisonment. The murderer had been excluded from the definition of ‘Wali’ by an amendment in Section 305 of the PPC, he added. Earlier, the murderer was given the benefit of being the victim’s ‘Wali’.
The minister said the offence of honour killing had been brought within the ambit of Section 311 of the PPC and courts could now punish an offender even if the ‘Qisas’ had been waived against him or compounded. He said that by amending Section 338-E of the PPC and Section 345 of the CrPC, the crime of honour killing could only be waived or compounded with the court’s permission.
Similarly, a provincial government would have no power to remit or suspend a sentence in this offence under Section 401 of the CrPC. He said that under Section 417 of the CrPC, an aggrieved party would have the right to appeal if a lower court acquitted the murderer.
Furthermore, Section 310 of the PPC had also been amended. It prescribed that a female would not be given in marriage to the aggrieved party as compensation for the killing. The minister said these amendments covered all aspects of the honour killing crime and demands for any further amendment were unnecessary .
Source: Daily Times
Date:3/5/2005
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