Federal Sharia Court restores suicide attempt as a criminal offence, declares 2022 Amendment void

The Federal Shariat Court has issued a detailed 26-page judgment restoring the legal clause that declares attempted suicide a criminal offence under Pakistani law and declaring the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2022 null and void.

The verdict was authored by Chief Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman, along with Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar and Justice Amir Muhammad Khan.

In its decision, the court made extensive references to verses from the Quran and teachings from Hadith, observing that suicide is a major sin in Islam and that Islamic teachings place paramount importance on the protection of human life.

The judgment stated that Islam is a religion that safeguards life and that any legal provision which appears to soften the stance on actions against life contradicts Islamic principles.

The court also highlighted the legal implications that arose after the deletion of Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the ruling, removing this section created serious legal hurdles in taking action against individuals who assist or abet suicide.

The bench questioned how the law could effectively proceed against those who facilitate such acts if the person attempting suicide is given legal concessions.

Declaring the 2022 amendment contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, the court ruled that deleting the criminal status of attempted suicide is inconsistent with Islamic teachings and cannot be sustained under the constitutional framework.

With this judgment, Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code stands restored, once again making attempted suicide a punishable offence under the law.