Pakistan’s Punjab govt bans two-finger test for rape victims ahead of Court's order

Pakistani media on Saturday reported that Punjab province has issued a tification banning two-finger test for rape and sexual violence survivors. However, y have faced a major backlash as petitioners claimed that tification by government was “hastily prepared, vague and deficient in material respects”.

This decision by Punjab administration comes amid an ongoing court case and has been implemented with immediate effect across Punjab. Ar similar case related to same issue is underway in Sindh province. While  World Health Organization has declared two-finger test as "unscientific, medically unnecessary and unreliable", India had banned two-finger test in 2013 and Bangladesh had banned it in 2018. 

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In October, Pakistan government disapproved of two-finger test (TFT) performed on rape survivors and recommended that it should t be part of any medico-legal examination report in sexual assault cases. Ministry of Law and Justice has intimated Additional Attorney General at Lahore, Chaudhry Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, about recommendation. He also informed Lahore High Court about federal government's stance, Dawn News reported.

court sought law ministry's response after going through a statement by World Health Organisation, which has declared virginity testing as "unscientific, medically unnecessary and unreliable". court is seized with two public interest litigation petitions which have challenged TFT, report said.

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One petition was filed by a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of National Assembly and or by a group of women's rights activists, academics, journalists and advocates. petitioners contended that TFT was "disrespectful, inhumane and violated women's fundamental rights".

At a previous hearing in September, Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department and Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department had observed in ir submissions to court that TFT had limited evidentiary value vis-à-vis determination of virginity and, refore, should be struck off protocol of medico-legal certificate (MLC).

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petition pointed out that Human Rights Watch, UN Human Rights Organisation and WHO have called for elimination of TFT. petitioners called upon governments to take measures to ensure physical and mental health of all women undergoing medico-legal examination and to adopt scientific methods of investigating claims of rape and sexual assault.

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(with PTI inputs)