Who would have thought that the PPP is actually capable of performing work as well. The bar we have set for our politicians is so low that I find myself applauding any attempt at passing a resolution which actually does something for the better of the people. Well, if PPP can just do this for the next couple of years, even I might vote for them, who knows!! Btw, this is work done which politicians can actually flaunt on TV, if you know what I mean!!

It is a shame that in Pakistan women are treated in the way they are. CII has their own interpretation of Islamic law which is unjust in every way. I think the assembly has taken a step in the right direction.

Those who voted against DNA testing - i just have one question for you! What if the victim happened to be your wife or your daughter? Would you be following the Islamic procedures, which could let go the accused - or the DNA, which will provide better evidence as to how the crime occurred? Remember, today you might not be in a position to experience the pain of the victims but you don't know what tomorrow might bring. Always make decisions that you will feel comfortable living with - if they were to affect you personally!

This deserves unreserved commendation. A very positive step, even though it appears as a slap in the face of obscurantism that emanates from the Council of Islamic Ideology. It is ironic that the Mulla Shirani is being defied by the PPP government in Sindh, while he was made chairman of IIC by the past PPP government. Whatever, it is a commendable step. The other provincial governments should follow suit. But the job is not don by merely making DNA tests mandatory. The Sindh Assembly should pass a law clearly stating that DNA test results would form an uncontrovertible prrof of crime in rape cases.

A good reply to the members of "CII". They deserved it.

It is time to get rid of Zia's legacy. The CII should be disbanded.

Disband CII. Those people are out of tune with even Islamic knowledge.

excellent.shame on cii

Appreciate this rare progressive resolution passed by a Pakistani assembly. However I suspect this is where it will end.

Islam is progressive. Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) members have demonstrated that they represent a particular understanding of Islam and their opinions are not widely shared. Therefore, at the very least, their contributions shouldn't be perceived or implemented as law, but an opinion to instigate discourse and a wider interest in a given topic.

Wow, so nice to see the Sind Assembly leading the nation to the path of progress, tolerance and modernity! We have suffered enough at the hands of medievalites and fossilized thinking.

Thanks Sharmila and all assembly members from Sindh. CII only represents a certain school of thought. If four persons are required to be witness then this means that those four were also a party in rape. How can four men see a women being raped and they only stand there and do not come for her rescue?

DNA test can only determine whether or not sexual intercourse took place. If the sexual intercourse took place as a result of willingness of both parties (Pakistan is no stranger to sex industry!), or force was used by any party can never be determined by DNA test. Because of this serious limitation of DNA test, it may possibly be misused, given the fact that witnesses are routinely influenced to speak anything but the truth in our courts of law. After all, there is no way the willing partner in illicit relationship, if caught red-handed, can be stopped to make a rape allegation because of social stigma attached to illicit relationships in our society. Besides tightening the noose around rapists' neck and filling all the loopholes in the judicial system, much effort is required to make the respect for women as the fellow human beings a social norm.

Suppose DNA test is positive, identifies a rapist but still subject to Sharia law & its interpretation , then what is the use of this exercise ?

This is a case of Mullah's having absolutely no ability to understand their own religion. Quran asks us to think and not follow blindly. The 4 witnesses is only in case of adultery and it is plenty obvious that it is meant to protect women against false accusations by men. These so called custodians of religion are clueless and cannot differentiate between adultery and rape. Adultery is sex with consent and rape is sex with force. Quran is clearly making a strong point of protecting women against false accusations in case of adultery by demanding that there be four witnesses. Now if by some wild reasoning and imagination, one is able to interpret that they need 4 witnesses in case of a rape accusation, the ONLY logical interpretation would be that Quran is demanding solid irrefutable evidence. DNA would constitute that. Moreover DNA evidence would also protect men against false accusations. Women can collect 8 women or 4 men and come forward and accuse any man of rape. In that case DNA would help protect the person accused as well. The so called custodians of Islam are clueless. In fact in my opinion they should be charged with blasphemy as they are making up their own laws and amending things to Quran.

good work done by sharmila farooqi

The Sind Assembly members must get ready for retribution !! Soon there is going to be a Fatwa calling all those who voted for this resolutions as Kafirs and guilty of blasphemy . There was no DNA in our prophet's time so how can one impose such a condition on the Muslims in our Islamic Republic , particularly when the CII has in all its wisdom found it not to be reliable enough as evidence in rape cases . In rape cases , the only way to prosecute is to get 4 witnesses which I am sure no woman who has been raped can provide !! Rapists can have a field day without DNA evidence !!

The Hell with these Mullahs, they know nothing about Islam

Good call!!!

Sharmila well done! For once you have done the right thing and hope that you will now use your abundant energy to improve the Women's rights in Pakistan. The Moulvi's will come after you but hang in there.

CII should be taught the concept of Ijtihad.

DNA test carried out properly is a fantastic tool to determine the allegations. It should be impleneted across the criminal cases, not just this one.

It is only a resolution not a law which is need of the day. If a country have two parallel justice systems it is highly unlikely to have a justice.

Sindh is progressive by all means, from the rest of the country. Sindh can actually lead by example and show the other provinces that how to build a progressive and all inclusive society. Well Done. -- Gul, KPK

VERY GOOD MOVE.MUST BE APPRECIATED.

**DISSOLVE CII!**

like alway sensible and logical decision from politician of Sind. I hope other goverment follow the lead

mullahs are going to be upset. ;)

Well done Sindh Assesmbly. Dont want to be led by these ignorant mullahs. Someone should ask them why do they use cars when there is no precedent in islam, they should travel on camels instead.

Absolutely delighted to see this development. DNA evidence didn't exist 1400 years ago, and that shouldn't stop us from providing justice to women who have been wronged in our country.

these mullahs should be expelled asap for the progress and betterment of the society.

well done Sindh Assembly MPAs. Allah has not asked us to keep ourselves blind to the evidence.

The resolution can be very helpful to prevent more rape cases if victim helps.

a step in the right direction!

Well done Sindh assembly. Should have done that ages ago.

@Noor Khan: well said ,,, 100% agreed

@Noor Khan: well said ,,, 100% agreed

This test, as a matter of fact, affects only the male partner of the rape. But tell me how many times there were more than one suspects in rape cases for which you needed a mandatory DNA test? Male partner was almost never arrested, never even found. except in some gang rape cases. I would humbly suggest that please pass a law that no rape case would be registered unless they caught the male partner involved, because unless his DNA matches there is no suspect.

@Rafi: lot of evidence can b found by froensics for sex by force

Well Done Sindh...sensible legislation is PPP's area of strength

CII should be abolished because its useless

Thank you, Sindh Provincial Assembly. Pakistan is thankful to you. The members of CII need to be sent back home. They are no better than the fossils lying in the glass show case at our museums. They refuse to accept Allah SWT 's repeated injunctions in Quran Karim to use our brains,to think,to ponder,to analyze. They still do not accept that Allah SWT , is the creater of absolutely everything in the universe-s ,including the laws ,of science, physics, chemistry,Genetics, and whatsoever---, of each and every law of the physical worlds . Quran emphasizes in so many places the importance of. "Tafakkar", "Tadabbar", & Thinking .The culture of Using brain , to observe, to analyse, to think, is enjoined to us variously ,in Quran , by Allah SWT who has bestowed upon humanity the precious brain (to be fully used). Can we ask them if they also refuse to accept the method of FINGER -PRINT matching as a dependable evidence? They remind me of the scion of Akora Khattak Seminary , Hazrat Abdul- Haq, who half a century ago (when the SPUTNiK was first pout in orbit by USSR) first gave the edict that the reports of the satellite launching were a fabrication .Next he edict-ed that it was a satanic adventure and he will sit in a "Chilla" to crash ,within 40 days, the Sputnik down. The results of his Chilla , are well known ; ---the poor soul . We also recall the "CII" of an older age who gave similar edicts against Microphone,TapeRecorder,And LoudSpeaker ,calling these Haram for Quranic purposes. AlHamduLillah ,these edicts were swept away in time. InshaAllah, the same fate will be met by this ruling of our CII,on DNA .