ISLAMABAD: After having failed to reach a consensus, the Senate Standing Commit­tee on Law and Justice referred on Thursday a proposed amendment to the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to provide for public hanging of criminals abducting children for murder to the Council of Islamic Ideology for its view.

The committee, headed by Senator Javed Abbasi of the ruling PML-N, also decided to hear representatives of provincial jail administrations at the next meeting before reaching a decision.

Former interior minister Senator Rehman Malik of the PPP had proposed the amendment to Section 364-A of the PPC, saying that the small amendment would send a strong message and help prevent to a large extent Zainab-like incidents in the country. He also said that this was the pressing demand of the people of Pakistan.

The idea was opposed by some members of the committee who said the amendment would not be appropriate as objections were already being raised over the death penalty in Pakistan.

Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani had referred the proposed bill to the house committee on law and directed the committees on interior and human rights to give their input on the matter.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2018