Islamabad: The Pakistan Government has decided to retain all Islamic punishments in the 'Hudood' Ordinance including stoning to death and lashing for various offences, but proposed procedural amendments in their applicability to women accused.
The Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights has finalised the draft of a bill to bring in amendments to the Hudood Ordinance of 1979 brought in by former military ruler Ziaul Haq with the objective of removing all "legal and procedural lacunae" in it, the Daily Times reported on Monday. The bill was likely to be presented in the next session of the National Assembly.
The proposed amendments would retain the applicability of hadd (Islamic punishment) to all offences, including rape, adultery, theft, wrongful accusation and robbery. The punishments to be retained included stoning to death, lashing and amputation for various offences.
However, the procedure had been amended to alter the number of eyewitnesses required, the conditions of evidence and the procedure for executing sentences, following instructions from President Pervez Musharraf, the report said.
Women and human rights groups strongly criticised Hudood law, which put the onus on women to clear herself of any allegations, including rape, in which the victim has to produce four witnesses.
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