Federal Minister for Human Rights, Shireen Mazari, has divulged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government will criminalize enforced disappearances.

She said that the government will amend the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to make this happen. Mazari further divulged that her ministry has drafted a bill and sent it to the law ministry as well.

She revealed this in a tweet that read, “Our Ministry, after inter-ministerial meetings with stakeholders two weeks ago, developed consensus to criminalize enforced disappearances through amends in PPC. A bill to that effect was drafted and sent to Law Ministry. PTI lives up to its Human Rights commitments.”

Our Ministry, after interministerial mtg with stakeholders, two weeks ago developed consensus to criminalize Enforced Disappearances through amends in PPC. Bill to that effect was drafted & sent to Law Ministry. PTI lives up to its Human Rights commitments. @HamidMirPAK — Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) January 24, 2019

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Notably, earlier in August 2018, the Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights had directed the Ministry of Human Rights to draft legislation to make enforced disappearances a cognizable offense under the Pakistan Penal Code.

After a few days, the Human Rights Minister also announced that the government is deliberating a law to criminalize the such incidents.

For a few days, there have been rumors that the government is deliberating on signing the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) with reservations, rather than bringing a new law in this regard.

However, with the minister’s statement, it seems that the government has decided to introduce amendments in the PPC to render the enforced disappearance a cognizable crime.

Via: PakistanToday