Senate Passes Bill to Criminalize Necrophilia in Pakistan

The Senate has unanimously passed a bill amending the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to criminalize necrophilia. This legislative action addresses a longstanding gap in Pakistan’s legal framework, where necrophilia was not previously recognized as a criminal offense.

The “Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” introduced by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, was approved during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan. The meeting, held at the Parliament House, included Senators Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui and Samina Mumtaz Zehri, along with officials from various departments.

The amendment specifically revises Section 377 of the PPC, which previously addressed “unnatural offenses” involving carnal intercourse with any man, woman, or animal. The new bill, passed by the Senate, expands this section to include deceased bodies, thereby making necrophilia punishable by life imprisonment in Pakistan.

The bill underscores the sanctity of the dead, aligning the legislation with Islamic teachings. It references a hadith stating, “To break the bone of a deceased person is akin to breaking the bone of a living person.” The bill categorizes necrophilia not merely as zina (adultery) but as a hudd crime, which is considered a violation of divine law.

The amendment addresses a critical loophole in the legal framework, where acts of necrophilia had been overlooked. Initially, there was a proposal to include children in the expanded definition, but legal advisors recommended focusing solely on deceased bodies to ensure clarity and effectiveness in the law’s application. The committee passed the bill unanimously, reflecting a consensus on the need for this legal reform.

The urgency of this legislation is underscored by recent cases of necrophilia in Pakistan. Last month in Karachi, a man was arrested for allegedly desecrating a grave and sexually assaulting the corpse of a recently buried woman. In a notorious 2011 case, a man confessed to defiling the bodies of 48 women over eight years at a Karachi cemetery.