The Upper House of Parliament on Monday passed the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) (Amendment) Bill, making it mandatory for the rape victims to undergo DNA testing.
After the passage of the bill, the officer investigating the rape case, would now face jail and fine, if found involved in not complying with the new changes.
The bill was moved in the House by Senator Humayun Mohmand, stating that police officials would arrange DNA tests of the rape victims from the laboratories recognised by the government preferably within 72 hours after the crime.
Over failure to comply with the law, the concerned police official will face up to three years in jail and a fine.
The legislation also prescribed sources of collecting samples for DNA testing in rape cases. It also stated maintaining privacy while preserving the DNA results in the hospital or the forensic lab.
Subsequently, Section 13C of the law will also restrict police stations across the country to maintain records of all DNA sampling and testing results in confidentiality and under the control of an officer not below the rank of BPS-19.
“Provided that if such police officer fails to fulfil his obligation,” another amendment to Section 21 stated, “(…) he shall be guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment of either description which may extend to three years and with fine.”
Senator Mohmand, who had presented the amendments to the standing committee of the House on July 24, 2023, said that the new Sections had been inserted into the anti-rape law by the Sindh Assembly in 2017 which helped its police force in arresting offenders involved in committing rape against women and children.
The House also passed the Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2025, increasing the salaries and perks of the senators.
The lawmakers belonging to the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raised objections over the bill despite supporting it in the concerned house committee.
However, the bill was passed by a majority vote after a formal vote was conducted to address concerns from dissenting members.
The bill, introduced by Senator Danesh Kumar, was passed, though Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan ordered the names of dissenting members to be recorded, signalling the contentious nature of the decision.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar defended the salary hike, urging the senators to avoid politicising the issue. He suggested that members unwilling to accept the raise should submit a written declaration. He pointed out that similar measures had already been implemented at the provincial level.
His remarks led to loud protests from the opposition, prompting an intervention by the chair to restore order in the House.
In addition to the salary bill, other legislative matters faced mixed outcomes. The Income Tax Ordinance (Amendment) Bill 2025, presented by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, was opposed by Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik.
The State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2023, introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz, sparked a debate, with Aziz insisting on its discussion in the Senate instead of being referred to a committee.
Other bills, such as the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2025, were postponed due to the absence of Senator Farooq Naek, while the University of Business Sciences and Technology Bill, 2025 was referred to the relevant standing committee.
Source: Business Recorder