Essay On Abortion In Pakistan

Up until 1990, abortion in Pakistan was regulated under the century-old provisions of the Penal Code 1860. Under this law, abortion was a crime, the only exception being its performance in good faith so as to save the pregnant woman’s life. Article 312 of the Penal Code provided that any person performing an illegal abortion was subject to imprisonment for three years and/or a fine; if the woman was “quick with child”, the penalty was imprisonment for up to seven years and payment of a fine. Females opting for an abortion incurred the same penalty. In 1990, the government of Pakistan took an initiative to reform abortion laws. The Penal Code of 1860 was amended in 1990, following a 1989 decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which held that part of the Penal Code of 1860 dealing with offences against the human body was invalid because it was repugnant to the injunctions of Islam. Pakistan revised its law in this area, reframing multiple provisions to conform to Islamic legal principles. The revised law had provisional applicability 1990 onwards and in 1997 became permanent law. According to the new

A woman cannot possibly ask for abortion in such cases, which is unfortunate: a woman may have to give birth to the child of a man who raped her. There are many other factors which make abortion a horrible experience for women, especially in poor areas. Abortion is a birth-control mechanism, as well. With low usage of contraception, and virtually no pro-choice laws, abortion is still being used as a birth-control tool. Because, it is illegal to do so, the market is unregulated by health agencies. This contributes to fatalities. Abortion at early stages, with the consent of the women, can reduce abortion-related complications and will reduce the fatality rate caused by these complications. In the public domain, there is virtually no debate on the issue which further hampers the reform