Pakistan Senate approves amendments to rape law amid

Islamist protests

(24 Nov. 2006) : Pakistan's Senate on Thursday amended its rape law to make it easier to prosecute cases of sexual assault on women. Human rights activists have long condemned the rape law for punishing - instead of protecting - rape victims while providing legal safeguards for their attackers. The legislation, known as the Protection of Women Bill, comes amid efforts by Islamabad to soften the country's hard-line Islamic image and appease moderates and human rights groups who opposed the law. The amended law would drop the death penalty for people found to have had sex outside of marriage, though they still would be subject to a five-year prison term or 10,000 rupees (US$165) fine.

Under the current Hudood Ordinance, rape victims could only raise a case in the Islamic court. But under the amended law, Judges will be able to choose whether to try a rape case in a criminal court or Islamic court which should make it easier to convict rapists. The current law requires testimony from four witnesses, making a trial of an alleged rapist almost impossible. The new law allows for DNA and other scientific evidence to be used in prosecuting rape cases.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who is expected to sign the amendment into a law is a major test of the leader's push to introduce «enlightened moderation» to this Islamic nation. According to the country's independent Human Rights Commission, a woman is raped every two hours and gang-raped every eight hours in Pakistan. Correspondents say these figures are probably an under-estimation as many rapes are not reported.