A Senate subcommittee has approved a bill proposing tougher penalties for rape, including a minimum of 25 years in prison and a fine of Rs 1 million. or the death penalty.

The legislation aims to create stronger deterrents to sexual violence in Pakistan. The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on the Interior Ministry’s sub-committee, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, was held on Tuesday at Parliament House.

The committee reviewed Senator Mohsin Aziz’s amendment to the Code of CrPC, which includes recommendations to toughen penalties for rape.

Senator Aziz proposed that convicted rapists should remain imprisoned for life – literally until their last breath.

During the session, it was revealed that the Islamabad Capital Territory and the Sindh government were against the bill. The Sindh authorities even considered the proposed punishment “absurd”.

However, Chairman Zehri strongly supported the proposed changes and said that the perpetrators of such heinous crimes must be made an example. “While genuine criminals roam free, police officers often imprison individuals targeted for financial gain,” she noted.

The Committee was briefed by the Special Home Secretary who noted that while the death penalty existed for rape under existing laws, its implementation was limited due to international agreements and obligations, including those under GSP status.