Man gets 21-year jail term for torturing wife
A sessions court handed down a 21-year imprisonment sentence to a man for torturing his wife and taking her indecent pictures. The culprit Aamir Baloch was found guilty of beating and burning his wife’s private parts in the New Karachi area in November 2016.
The judge, Zabiha Khattak, acknowledged that sufficient evidence was on record against the accused who was “unfortunately the husband of the complainant/victim, but he kept merciless behaviour with his own wife and he treated the victim as lesser than an animal” and “kept her as a slave”.
The couple had been married for 14 years. Some time after their marriage, the accused started maltreating the victim, and in 2015, he kicked her and beat her with his fists and large spoons, and also locked her in the house. She escaped from the house many times but he brought her back.
The prosecutor said the accused later chained her and confined her to his house, adding that he also cut her hair and eyebrows. She said the accused also subjected his wife to unnatural acts, broke her ear bone and burnt her private parts. The victim was forced to roam naked around the house as he took her pictures.
An FIR had been lodged under the Pakistan Penal Code’s sections 324 (attempted murder), 337-A(i) (Shajja), 337-F(i) (punishment of ghayr-jaifah), 292 (sale, etc., of obscene books, etc.), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 509 (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment) and 337 (unnatural offence).
The culprit was sentenced to a jail term of 21 years and three months to the convict and told him to pay Rs25,000 as compensation to the victim.
Federal Shariat Court orders formation of transgender child protection unit
The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has directed the Ministry of Human Rights to constitute a child protection unit for transgender children to ensure the provision of due rights to them.
A two-member bench of the FSC, comprising Chief Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer and Justice Khadim Hussain Shaikh issued the directive while hearing a set of petitions challenging the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018.
During the hearing, the FSC Chief Justice remarked that the human rights ministry appeared insincere in the provision of rights to transgender children and asked the counsel of the ministry to come prepared while attending the case hearings.
The judge directed the human rights ministry secretary to bring a detailed report in connection to the case. “Where will these children go when the government is not fulfilling its responsibility?” he asked.
The court also formed a special committee to devise the standard operating procedures of the special unit. “The committee will finalise the SOPs and submit a report to the court in the next 24 days.” It is not clear at this point who the members of the committee are.
The chief justice also praised Pakistan Sweet Homes Patron-in-Chief Zamurud Khan for doing “incredible work”. The court adjourned the hearing till Jan 10.
The Transgender Law 2018
The National Assembly enacted the law to provide legal recognition to transgender persons and ensure that discrimination against transgender persons in various walks of life shall be punishable in May 2018.
The law also enabled trans people to be recognised as they perceive themselves and register with government institutions as transgenders.
Hailed as a ‘landmark’ law that offered protection to a marginalised community, the legislation however was embroiled in litigation scrutiny since it was passed by the two houses of the parliament.
A set of petitioners challenged the law in 2021 on grounds that it was “repugnant to Islamic injunctions”. In September 2022, a fresh set of petitions were filed against the law in the FSC.
