Honour killing will be treated as wilful murder
ISLAMABAD – The government on July 30 tabled seven bills in the National Assembly. These included bills related to honour killings, treatment of injured people, attacks on mosques and other places of worship, and the protection of coastal regime and eco-system.
Advisor to the Prime Minister for Women Development and Social Welfare Nelofar Bakhtiyar tabled the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2004 relating to honour killings.
This bill proposes that honour killing will be treated as wilful murder and prescribes enhanced punishment for this offence. The proposed bill also suggests that investigations for Zina, blasphemy and honour killing cases would be conducted by a police officer of SP level. The bill also proposes that a women accused of Zina shall not be arrested without the court’s permission. The bill provides a definition of “honour crime”.
It also proposes that such offences shall not be waived or compounded without the court’s permission. According to the bill, a female shall not be given in marriage or other wise in badal-i-sulha.
According the proposed Bill of Injured Persons (Medical Aid) Act, 2004 tabled by the Federal Health Minister Nasir Khan, injured people will be treated on priority basis and that no police official shall interrupt or interfere with the treatment. It adds that injured people should not be shifted to any other hospital until their condition stabilises.
Anyone who violates the provisions of this act can be imprisoned for up to two years or fined ten thousand rupees or both. Federal Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat introduced a bill that further amends the Anti-terrorism Act 1997 [The Anti-terrorism (Amendments) Bill, 2004. The bill enhances both the minimum and maximum punishments for acts of terrorism, limits and adjournments of cases and provides for appeals to be decided by special benches of the High Court. The power of the federal government is provided to transfer cases from a court in one province to a court in another province. The bill will bring offences relating to abduction and kidnapping for ransom, firing and use of explosives in the places of worship and court premises within the exclusive jurisdiction of Anti-terrorism Courts.
Source: Daily Times
Date:7/31/2004
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