NewsJanuary 25, 2018
Zainab’s issue: Senate disagrees to amend law for killer’s public hanging
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Wednesday failed to agree on amending the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for public hanging of those found guilty of raping or murdering children.Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani referred the matter to the House Standing Committee on Law and Justice, following the House’s failure to have a consensus on bringing the desired amendment, tossed by the House Standing Committee on Interior. The committee has been asked to report during the session, which is expected to be prorogued on Friday.
Following the gory incident in Kasur, Senator Abdul Rehman Malik, who heads the House Committee on Interior, had proposed an amendment to (PPC) 364A so that the killer could be hanged publicly.
Rabbani contended that as the issue was of serious nature and, therefore, it is referred to the law and justice, where committees on interior and human rights will be invited to give final recommendation on the issue.
The Senate chairman read out provision from jail manual and referred the matter later to the law and justice committee to report whether in the presence of the provision it is still necessary to amend the penal code. Senator Malik said, “If we bring in a private bill, it will be too late as next private members’ day will meet Monday next…so I request the government to move an amendment so that the killer of Zainab could be hanged publicly”.
However, Senator Hasil Bizenjo of the National Party of Balochistan, who is also Minister for Maritime Affairs, rose to strongly oppose the move. PPP’s Senator Farhatullah Babar also rejected such an amendment.
Bizenjo said that public lashing of Gen Ziaul Haq era must not be repeated, as there already existed a law through which a convict could be hanged to death. “We had had enough during Ziaul Haq regime of these public lashings. There already exists a law, so let the law prevail, and making amendment out of emotion would not serve any purpose…it was just an incident and such incidents often happens,” he added.
Senator Babar also did not find himself in agreement with the proposed amendment and said crime and deterrence had no relations. “You cannot eradicate crime through such law, and mere amendment to the law when there already exists a law, it will be throwback to Zia era,” he added.
Babar proposed if public hanging of Zainab’s killer was that necessary, changes could be made in jail manuals, through which the authorities could order the convict’s execution anywhere. “I would suggest to make changes in jail manuals instead of amending the law, as any attempt to change the law for a single case will certainly brutalise the society,” he added.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said if public hanging had been a remedy, the execution by Taliban could have put the whole society on right track. However, he proposed that if public hanging of the killer was necessary, the issue should be referred to a trial court, as it had all the powers to decide his fate. Senators Sitara Ayaz of Awami National Party (ANP), Sehar Kamran (PPP), and Khushbakht Shujaat (MQM) endorsed public hanging for the killer of Zainab.
“Though we don’t support capital punishment, in this particular case we have no option except supporting and advocating public hanging of the beast who killed innocent Zainab,” said Senator Sehar.
PTI’s Senator Azam Swati said that no less than public hanging for the killer was acceptable, because the way an innocent girl was killed was simply intolerable. JUI-Fazl’s Senators Hafiz Hamdullah from Balochistan, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini BNP-Mengal, Kamil Ali Agha and Saeedul Hassan Mandokhel of PML-Q, Shahi Syed and Ilyas Bilour of ANP also supported the proposed amendment, saying even a harsher law should be enacted to deal with such criminals.
Senator Saud Aziz of PML-N said that Islam should not be linked to Ziaul Haq while seeking guidance from Islamic jurisprudence and added that changes in jail manual or an amendment, the ‘beast’ who killed an innocent girl should be stoned to death.
Winding up the discussion on the admitted motion by Sehar Kamran regarding the key commitments made by the government to the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, without taking Parliament into confidence, State Minister Ch Jaffar Iqbal said that the coalition was not against any Islamic state. It was purely to fight the menace of terrorism.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
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