The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Monday restored Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), 1860, effectively recriminalizing suicide attempts in Pakistan.
In its ruling, the court declared the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2022 un-Islamic and struck down the legal amendment that had removed punishment for attempted suicide.
The verdict was announced by a three-member bench comprising Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rahman, Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwer, and Justice Ameer Muhammad Khan.
Section 325 of the PPC previously stated that anyone attempting suicide could face simple imprisonment for up to one year, a fine, or both. The amendment repealing the provision was approved in December 2022 by former President Arif Alvi after being passed by both the Senate and National Assembly.
The law had been challenged before the FSC by Advocate Hammad Saeed Dar, who argued that decriminalizing suicide attempts was against the injunctions of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The petition maintained that the state was responsible for protecting human life and that Section 325 served as a deterrent against suicide attempts.
“dont let them live, dont let them die either”: pakistani government
please attempt suicide sir. In sha Allah no one will stop you. 😉