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Psychiatrists Challenge Court Ruling on Suicide Attempts in Pakistan
🇵🇰 Pakistan /Crime & Justice

Psychiatrists Challenge Court Ruling on Suicide Attempts in Pakistan

From Dawn · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Psychiatrists are challenging a Federal Shariat Court ruling that declared the decriminalization of suicide attempts contrary to Islamic injunctions.
  • The Pakistan Psychiatric Society argues that neither the Quran nor the Sunnah mandates punishment for suicide attempts.
  • They are requesting the Supreme Court's Shariat Appellate Bench to overturn the FSC's judgment.

Psychiatrists in Pakistan are challenging a Federal Shariat Court (FSC) ruling that deemed the decriminalization of suicide attempts repugnant to Islamic injunctions. The Pakistan Psychiatric Society (PPS) has approached the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court, seeking to set aside the FSC's May 18 judgment.

The FSC had previously struck down the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022, to the extent that it removed Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which criminalized suicide attempts. The court declared this removal contrary to Islamic principles.

However, the PPS argues that neither the Holy Quran, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), nor any established juristic consensus mandates criminal punishment for those who attempt suicide. The society contends that such individuals require mental health support rather than penalization. This legal challenge highlights a significant debate within Pakistan regarding mental health, religious interpretation, and criminal justice.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dawn in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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