Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court has overturned legislation that removed criminal penalties for attempted suicide, determining the changes conflict with Islamic principles.
The court made this decision after reviewing multiple petitions challenging the law that Parliament enacted.
In 2022, the National Assembly modified the Pakistan Penal Code by eliminating attempted suicide from criminal offenses. The amended law prohibited legal prosecution of individuals who attempted suicide.
The Federal Shariat Court explained in its decision that governments must safeguard citizens’ lives and emphasized that criminalizing suicide attempts previously served to discourage such actions and prevent them through fear of prosecution.
The court determined that mental illness alone does not justify eliminating this law.
During proceedings, government representatives cited World Health Organization statistics showing millions of annual suicide deaths globally, with mental illness being the leading factor.
The federal government maintained that the law’s main purpose was recognizing that people who attempt suicide typically experience psychological problems or mental health issues.
Government officials additionally argued that since suicide attempters are victims themselves, these situations should be addressed medically rather than legally, without criminal prosecution.
Officials contended that people in these circumstances often face mental, economic, and social pressures, requiring medical care instead of punishment.
However, the Federal Shariat Court countered that suicide and attempted suicide stem from factors beyond just mental illness or psychological distress.
These factors may encompass suicide attempts for terrorist purposes, hunger strikes seeking political or economic benefits, public self-immolation using kerosene, and sometimes suicide attempts influenced by internet content or mobile apps.
The court noted that while each suicide attempter faces unique circumstances, removing criminal status from all suicide attempts regardless of motivation is inappropriate.
The court pointed out that Pakistan’s Constitution already contains provisions for helping individuals with mental disabilities.
The Federal Shariat Court also consulted the Council of Islamic Ideology, which declared suicide a serious sin requiring discouragement.
Tanzeela Javed, an Islamabad-based clinical psychiatrist, told The Media Line “In most cases, attempted suicide is associated with treatable mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, or acute psychosocial stressors like financial hardship or relationship breakdown.”
She added “Prevention strategies are never purely medical; they also require social support systems, crisis services, and responsible public policy. The most effective frameworks internationally tend to treat suicide prevention as a public health priority while still ensuring appropriate safeguards in exceptional contexts”.
Javed emphasized, “Ultimately, the clinical goal is not punishment, but risk reduction, treatment access, and preservation of life through early and non-judgmental intervention.”
