Pakistan Psychiatric Society has approached the Supreme Court’s Shariat Appellate Bench against a ruling that effectively restores the criminal status of attempted suicide in Pakistan.
The petition challenges the May 18 decision of the Federal Shariat Court, which struck down provisions of the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2022 that had removed attempted suicide from the list of criminal offences.
The petitioners argue that neither the Holy Quran, the Sunnah nor established Islamic jurisprudential consensus explicitly requires criminal punishment for a person who attempts suicide.
The Federal Shariat Court had ruled that removing criminal liability for attempted suicide was inconsistent with Islamic injunctions.
The Pakistan Psychiatric Society maintains that individuals who attempt suicide are often suffering from depression, severe psychological distress or other mental health disorders and therefore require treatment, counseling and psychiatric support rather than criminal prosecution.
Mental health experts argue that punitive measures may worsen the condition of vulnerable individuals, while medical and rehabilitation-focused approaches are more effective in addressing the underlying causes.
The case will now be heard by the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court, which will determine whether criminalizing attempted suicide is consistent with Islamic and constitutional principles.
