The Senate has passed a significant bill amending the country’s criminal laws, reducing the punishment for defamation of women from the death penalty to life imprisonment.
The amendment, which drew sharp criticism from opposition lawmakers, was passed by a majority vote on Friday.
The legislation seeks to amend the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and the Criminal Procedure Code 1898. It was introduced by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, while Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar passionately defended the government's stance on reforming harsh punishments.
'Only Shariah-mandated crimes deserve death penalty:' Law minister
Speaking in the Senate, Law Minister Tarar emphasized that capital punishment should be reserved only for the four crimes outlined in Shariah law.
“There used to be a seven-year sentence for tearing a woman’s clothes. This was changed to the death penalty during General Zia’s era. That martial law-era gift should now come to an end,” he said.
Tarar argued that the presence of the death penalty has not led to a decline in crime. “How did we presume that the severity of punishment deters crime? Europe doesn’t have the death penalty, and yet their crime rate is around 2%. In contrast, we have capital punishment for over 100 crimes, and still the crime rate is increasing,” he added.
The minister also criticized the misuse of Section 354A in police stations, alleging that some SHOs demand bribes to register cases under the section. He said people fight over water, but allege women's modesty being defiled because the punishment for this crime is death and no bail.
“The rate to register such a case is around Rs1 million,” he claimed, urging lawmakers to shut down what he called a “chapter of police misuse". He added that 25 years in prison is a very big sentence; the death penalty should be abolished.
Opposition voices concern over punishment reduction
Opposition senators, however, voiced strong objections to replacing the death penalty with life imprisonment in cases involving sexual violence and indecent acts.
Senator Ali Zafar maintained that such crimes were too serious to warrant a lesser sentence. “Rape and indecency should still carry the death penalty,” he said.
Senator Abdul Qadir pointed to the rise in terrorism-related incidents and questioned whether now was the right time to reduce punishments. Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri stressed the need to improve prosecution and conviction rates instead of lowering punishments.
Citizenship amendment bill passed
The Senate also approved the Pakistan Citizenship Amendment Bill 2025. Under the new law, individuals who had previously renounced their Pakistani citizenship will now be able to regain it by submitting a formal declaration.
When Senator Ali Zafar raised concerns about the move, Law Minister Tarar responded, “The doors of one's home should never be permanently closed to anyone.”
The Senate also passed the Extradition Amendment Bill 2025 and adjourned its session until 5pm on Monday.
