A Return to the Dark Side |
This December, Pakistan seemed to echo a past it endeavoured to reform: a time shaped by the Hudood Ordinance, when female survivors of sexual violence bore the brunt of legal and social scrutiny, and courts placed excessive emphasis on evidentiary requirements for convictions.
In a landmark decision that concluded Hassan Khan vs. The State, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) converted a rape conviction into a case of consensual adultery. In doing so, it effectively reduced the sentence from 20 years of imprisonment to just five; the fine from Rs 500,000 to just Rs 10,000; and imposed two months of additional jail time should the accused default on this payment.
LDA launches computerized ballot for residential and commercial plots
If taken at face value, some could argue that the decision upholds some semblance of justice. However, a closer look undoubtedly reveals a bleak........