ISLAMABAD
A bill to prevent honour killings was introduced in the Senate on Monday.
PPP Senator Sughra Imam presented the Anti-Honour Killings Law (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2014 for amending the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898.
Amendments are proposed in seven sections of the PPC XLV of 1860.
Statement of objects and reasons of the bill says, “The honour killings are common throughout Pakistan, claiming the lives of hundreds of victims every year. According to Aurat Foundation’s statistics, 432 women were reportedly killed in the name of honour in Pakistan in 2012, 705 in 2011, 557 in 2010, 604 in 2009 and 475 in 2008. These figures do not include unreported cases and the number of men, who are often killed alongside women in the name of honour.”
“Addressing the loopholes and lacunae in the existing laws is essential in order to prevent these crimes from being repeatedly committed.”
Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari referred the bill to the committee for deliberations.
