A Senate committee in Pakistan unanimously has approved amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) aimed at criminalizing necrophilia.
The committee, led by Senator Shahadat Awan, met at Parliament House with Senators Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui and Samina Mumtaz Zehri in attendance, along with representatives from relevant departments.
Although the committee was scheduled to review several private members’ bills, most were deferred due to the absence of their sponsors.
However, the committee moved forward with the “Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” introduced by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, which addressed what it described as a “disturbing trend” of necrophilia in the country. The bill highlighted that other nations had already enacted similar laws.
The bill expanded the definition of Section 377 to explicitly include dead bodies, as the existing law only addressed “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal.”
The legislation emphasized the importance of upholding the sanctity of the deceased according to Islamic teachings, stating, “To break the bone of a deceased person is similar to breaking the bone of a living person,” and cited the Holy Prophet (PBUH). It asserted that necrophilia constituted not only a violation of Zina but also a hudd crime, necessitating legal consequences.
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Initially, Senator Samina Mumtaz had proposed including children in the definition of Section 377, but after consultations with the law and interior ministries, it was decided to focus solely on “dead bodies.”
Having received unanimous approval from the committee, the bill was set to be presented in Parliament for further consideration.
This amendment aimed to establish a clear legal framework against necrophilia by updating Section 377 (unnatural offenses), which currently carries a penalty of life imprisonment.
