Islamabad: Pakistan’s bicameral parliament on Thursday was set to legislate reforms to tighten up existing laws against rape and so-called honour killings, in the wake of the cold-blooded murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch by her brother in the name of protecting family dignity.
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, reported in a tweet Thursday that lawmakers from the Senate (upper house) and the National Assembly have reached a consensus on draft amendments to deal with evils of honour killing and rape.
An influential figure in the ruling party, Maryam tweeted: “We have achieved consensus on anti-honour killing & anti-rape bills in committee of joint sitting of Parliament. Great news for Pakistan.”
The bills shall now be submitted to a joint sitting of the two houses of the parliament to be held in two weeks, she said.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N commands comfortable majority in the 342-member National Assembly (lower house) but lacks upper hand in the 100-member Senate.
The consensus reported by Maryam, paves the way for smooth passage of the contemplated amending bills designed to reform the laws, particularly to remove a flaw that allows close relatives of a victim of ‘honour killing’ to pardon killer.
Qandeel Baloch was drugged strangled to death by her brother last Friday in the city of Multan.
The brother, who is under arrest facing trial, confessed to killing his sister, saying social taunt and ridicule over Qandeel’s controversial selfies posteed on social media had become unbearable.
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan and the debate follows a slew of high-profile killings in the country.
Sharif’s ruling PML-N party has a large majority of seats in the lower house and the bills are believed to have enough backing from opposition parties to pass in the senate too.
The proposed bills could seek to close a loophole that allows those who kill in the name of honour - usually a relative of the victim - to evade punishment by seeking clemency from other family members.
Pakistan amended its criminal code in 2005 to prevent men who kill female relatives pardoning themselves as an “heir” of the victim.
But punishment is left to a judge’s discretion when other relatives of the victim forgive the killer - a loophole which critics say is exploited.
Social media starlet Qandeel Baloch was strangled to death by her brother on Friday, once again casting a spotlight on the custom of “honour killings”, which claims around a thousand lives in Pakistan every year.
Held up by many of the country’s youth for her liberal views and forthrightness, Baloch - who posed with mullahs and courted controversy in plunging dresses - was also reviled by many and frequently subject to misogynist abuse online.
Rights group Amnesty International this week called on the country to “undertake structural reforms that end impunity for so-called ‘honour’ killings, including by passing legislation that removes the option of clemency for such killings”.
