Punjab ban on invasive test for rape survivors applicable across Pakistan — human rights ministry 

In this photo, members of VCare Welfare Trust hold placards during a protest against an alleged gang rape of a woman, in Karachi on September 13, 2020. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 06 January 2021
Follow

Punjab ban on invasive test for rape survivors applicable across Pakistan — human rights ministry 

  • Lahore high court banned two‐finger and hymen test in a landmark ruling on Monday, federal government had already banned it through a presidential ordinance last month
  • Lawyers and rights activists call on provincial authorities to ensure the implementation of the court’s ruling across Pakistan “in letter and spirit”

ISLAMABAD: A ban in the province of Punjab on an outdated medical procedure that subjects rape survivors to an invasive virginity exam would be applicable throughout Pakistan, a top official at the ministry of human rights said on Tuesday.

The Lahore High Court on Monday ruled against the two-finger or hymen test, calling it a “highly invasive” and “humiliating practice” that was not a “scientific or medical requirement” in sexual violence cases.

The court announced its judgment after hearing two public interest petitions challenging the test in Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab, which is home to about 110 million people.

“The federal government already banned the archaic and controversial two-finger virginity test in rape cases by imposing a presidential ordinance last month,” Mohammad Hussain Mangi, director-general at the Ministry of Human Rights, told Arab News. 

Though the ordinance will lapse after 120 days unless it is voted into law by parliament, Mangi said, the court verdict would continue to serve as a precedent in all four provinces of Pakistan.

“It’s also the responsibility of provincial authorities to ensure the implementation of this verdict in letter and spirit,” Mangi said. 

Supporters of the virginity test have argued it can evaluate a woman’s promiscuity and her “honor” but backlash to the test has been growing for years, with critics saying it provides no useful information and is traumatic for survivors of sexual violence. 

The United Nations has for years said the test is painful, inaccurate and a violation of human rights, with no place in modern society. The World Health Organization has declared the test “unscientific, medically unnecessary and unreliable.” Neighbouring India banned the test in 2013 and Bangladesh in 2018.

Maria Farooq, a lawyer who pleaded the case, said the court had declared the practice unconstitutional and directed the Punjab and federal administrations to ensure it was no longer used while investigating rape cases. 

“By following the instructions of the court, the provincial and federal authorities should focus on training medico-legal officers and devise appropriate protocols to collect scientific evidence in rape cases,” Farooq told Arab News, adding that the ruling would also serve as a reference point in sexual violence cases in other provinces even in the absence of an act of parliament and thus would “help provide relief to victims.” 

President Dr. Arif Alvi approved the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020 last month to ensure speedy trial of rape cases. The ordinance, which banned the two-finger test, will expire in the second week of April after the completion of 120 days. After that, it can become permanent law only after parliamentary approval.

The court ruling and presidential ordinance have followed a series of headline-grabbing rape cases across the country, including the gang-rape of a woman in front of her children along a major highway in September last year. 

The case resulted in public outrage as rights activists and citizens asked the government to take necessary measures to stem sexual violence against women and ensure that the perpetrators of such crimes were held accountable. 

Pakistani law specifies 10 to 25 years in prison for rape and life imprisonment or death for gang-rape. However, these punishments have rarely been implemented. 

Maliha Zia Lari, one of the petitioners in the case and associate director of the Legal Aid Society, termed the ruling a “landmark judgment.”

“We now need to devise a proper monitoring and evaluation mechanism to ensure that the practice is abandoned practically in all rape cases,” she told Arab News. “We also need to tell the police and prosecution that the two-finger test is illegal and has no evidentiary value.” 

Lari said the government should properly train medico-legal officials, police and prosecutors and give them the requisite equipment to collect forensic evidence, like DNA in rape cases, to boost conviction rates. 

“It’s still a long journey to achieve the hundred percent,” she said, “but the good thing is that we have taken the first step in the right direction.”
 


Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan

Updated 12 July 2025
Follow

Pakistani province offers to help build cancer hospital in Afghanistan

  • Ali Amin Gandapur tells Afghan envoy his administration is ready to support the welfare of the Afghan people
  • KP chief minister says he wants to send a delegation to the neighboring state to ‘promote trust and harmony’

ISLAMABAD: The provincial administration of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday offered assistance to build a cancer hospital in neighboring Afghanistan during a meeting between Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Afghan envoy to Pakistan, Sardar Ahmad Shakib.

KP shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan and maintains strong cultural and linguistic ties with Pashtun populations across the frontier.

The province has also experienced a major surge in militant violence in recent months, with Pakistani officials frequently accusing armed groups based in Afghanistan of orchestrating cross-border attacks, a claim the Taliban government in Kabul denies.

“Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held an important meeting with Afghanistan’s Ambassador Sardar Ahmad Shakib, during which bilateral relations, mutual cooperation and regional stability were discussed in detail,” the KP administration said in a statement.

“Gandapur offered assistance in establishing a cancer hospital in Afghanistan and assured full support in the agricultural sector [to Kabul] as well,” it added. “He expressed his commitment that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is ready to play every possible role in the welfare of the Afghan people.”

Ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan became strained in 2023 when Islamabad launched a major crackdown on undocumented migrants, most of them Afghans, citing security concerns.

While Pakistan’s federal administration and military adopted a tough posture toward Kabul, it was widely reported in the local media that the KP government wanted diplomatic engagement with Afghan Taliban, signaling an interest in negotiated cooperation.

The two sides have recently sought to reset relations and agreed to appoint ambassadors following a China-facilitated tripartite meeting this year.

Saturday’s discussion also emphasized the deep cultural and ethnic links between the two countries, with both sides agreeing that these bonds should be strengthened through mutual respect and cooperation.

The statement said Gandapur plans to send a special delegation to Afghanistan “to serve as a bridge between the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan and to promote trust and harmony.”

Ambassador Shakib expressed appreciation for the KP government’s support for Afghan refugees and reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing bilateral ties through peaceful and people-centric initiatives.


Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region

Updated 12 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan’s climate minister orders action over black bear killing in northern region

  • Video of the incident shows men pushing an unconscious bear down a rocky slope
  • Dr. Musadik Malik calls such acts of violence against wildlife ‘utterly unacceptable’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik on Saturday ordered strict action against a group of people who killed a black bear in the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, according to an official statement, saying such brutality cannot be overlooked under any circumstances.

A video of the incident circulating on social media shows three individuals pushing the unconscious bear down a rocky mountainside. Authorities have already lodged a police complaint and are working with the local community to ensure the accused are brought to justice.

“Such acts of violence against wildlife are utterly unacceptable and will not be allowed to continue under any circumstances,” an official statement quoted Malik as saying.

This screengrab from a viral video shows a Himalayan black bear being thrown off a cliff after reportedly being tortured and killed in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. (APP/Screengrab)

It added he had “directed the Wildlife Management Boards to take strict and immediate action against those responsible.”

The minister also stressed his commitment to protecting Pakistan’s wildlife and enforcing conservation laws across all regions, adding that community engagement was critical to prevent such incidents.

Acts of animal cruelty are not rare in Pakistan. In June 2024, a landlord in Sanghar district, Sindh, ordered the brutal amputation of a camel’s leg for straying into his fields. Days later, another mutilated camel was found dead in the region with its legs amputated.

Animal rights activists have also condemned practices like bear dancing, where the animals are trained by being forced to stand on hot metal plates, and bear baiting, a blood sport in which the chained bear is attacked by dogs for public spectacle.

Though officially banned, both practices have been reported in parts of the country over the years.


Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’

Updated 12 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan PM defends tough structural reforms, says country can’t afford ‘business as usual’

  • Shehbaz Sharif describes Pakistan’s economic stabilization efforts as ‘a long and thorny journey’
  • He says merit is central to his governance model as his administration works to fix the economy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday strongly defended his government’s structural reform agenda, particularly in tax administration, saying that difficult and often unpopular decisions were necessary to rebuild national institutions, as the country could no longer afford “business as usual.”

Speaking at an orientation session for participants of the Uraan Pakistan youth program, Sharif recalled the fragile economic conditions he inherited after assuming power following last year’s general elections.

He noted that Pakistan had narrowly avoided a sovereign default in mid-2023, when inflation surged to nearly 38 percent, before securing a critical bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The prime minister said his administration took on the “onerous task” of stabilizing the economy under immense pressure, choosing to pursue long-delayed reforms rather than temporary fixes.

“Pakistan had to undertake these long-overdue, deep structural changes if we had to find our lost place in the comity of nations through hard and untiring efforts,” he said.

Sharif pointed to a set of key reforms aligned with IMF recommendations, including the digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

He noted the transition from paper-based tax systems to digital and AI-led processes was already bearing fruit.

“Faceless interactions — these terminologies were unknown in FBR,” he said, adding that one previously underperforming sector saw its tax contribution rise from Rs12 billion to over Rs50 billion within a year due to improved enforcement.

The prime minister said his administration had prioritized accountability, removing senior FBR officials accused of corruption and resisting political pressure in doing so.

“It’s a long and thorny journey,” he continued. “We are facing bumps on the way and mountain-like impediments. But I can assure you, we will not shy away from discharging our responsibility.”

Sharif maintained that merit would remain the cornerstone of his governance model.

“Delivery is the name of the game,” he said. “Performance is the name of the game.”


Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources

Updated 12 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan won’t send hockey teams to India — official sources

  • The two nuclear-armed states had a four-day military standoff in May that left 70 people dead
  • Pakistan’s refusal to participate in the Asia Cup can cost the team a place in next year’s World Cup

KARACHI: Pakistan will not travel to India for upcoming hockey tournaments over “security” concerns, government sources told AFP on Saturday, potentially jeopardizing their place in next year’s World Cup.

The nuclear-armed neighbors traded the worst violence in decades during a four-day conflict in May that killed 70 people.

Pakistan was due to participate in the Men’s Asia Cup for field hockey to be hosted by India in August and September, for which the federation had sought the government’s clearance.

“After the recent war the security and safety of our hockey players will be at risk,” said a sports ministry source, who asked not to be identified.

Pakistan will also not participate in the Junior World Cup in India in November, the source said.

Once a force in international hockey, with three Olympic gold medals and four world titles, Pakistan has slumped to 15th in the rankings.

Not featuring in the Asia Cup will likely cost Pakistan a place in next year’s senior World Cup to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium.

A second government source also confirmed the decision to AFP.

Pakistan’s foreign office has not responded to AFP’s request for comment.

India stalled all bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which it blamed on militants based across the border.

Cricket has been the most affected sport, with the two countries only meeting each other in multinational events abroad.

India refused to visit Pakistan this year when it hosted the Champions Trophy, forcing the final to be staged on neutral ground in Dubai.

In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan will also not send its women’s cricket team to India for the 50-over World Cup later this year and the T20 World Cup in 2026.

They agreed instead to play their matches in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan’s hockey team last toured India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy, finishing fifth among six teams.


Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling

Updated 12 July 2025
Follow

Pakistan seeks closer security ties with Bahrain to curb drugs, human smuggling

  • Both countries share a longstanding partnership spanning diplomacy, security and people-to-people ties
  • Mohsin Naqvi emphasizes enhanced cooperation in counterterrorism during his visit to the Gulf country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday called for deeper cooperation with Bahrain to combat narcotics trafficking and human smuggling, as both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral security ties during his official visit to the Gulf state.

Pakistan and Bahrain share a longstanding relationship encompassing diplomacy, security, economic exchange and people-to-people links. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1971, the two nations have developed close political and military cooperation, including defense training, joint security initiatives and regular high-level engagements.

In recent years, with rising concerns over drug trafficking and human smuggling, both countries have intensified efforts to coordinate through formal channels to facilitate intelligence sharing and law enforcement collaboration.

“Enhanced cooperation between the interior ministries of Pakistan and Bahrain to counter narcotics and human smuggling is the need of the hour,” Naqvi said, according to an official statement issued after his meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

The ministers discussed issues of mutual interest and emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism.

The discussion also emphasized the need to enhance the effectiveness of the Pakistan–Bahrain Joint Security Committee, a formal mechanism for coordinating on counterterrorism and related issues, while exploring ways to jointly address broader regional and global security challenges.

Bahrain’s interior minister welcomed the visit as an opportunity to deepen existing ties, describing the security cooperation and coordination between the two countries as “valued and constructive.”

He also expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s continued engagement across a range of sectors, with particular emphasis on security.