Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court has declared the legislation decriminalizing attempted suicide is contrary to Islamic principles and has struck it down.
The Federal Shariat Court issued the ruling in response to the various petitions filed against the legislation passed by Parliament.
In 2022, the National Assembly amended the Pakistan Penal Code, removing attempted suicide from the list of criminal offenses. Under the legislation, no legal action was to be taken against a person attempting suicide.
In its ruling, the Federal Shariat Court said it is the state’s responsibility to protect the lives of citizens and noted that attempted suicide had previously been treated as a criminal offense in order to discourage people from taking such a step and to deter them through the fear of legal action.
According to the court, there is no justification for repealing this law solely on the basis of mental illness.
During the hearing, the government presented data from the World Health Organization, according to which millions of people worldwide die by suicide every year, and the primary cause is mental illness.
The federal government took the position that the primary objective of the legislation concerning attempted suicide was to acknowledge that individuals who attempt suicide are often suffering from psychological distress or mental illness.
The federal government further stated that since a person attempting suicide is themselves a victim, the issue should be treated as a health matter rather than a legal one, and no criminal action should be taken against them.
It was further argued that individuals in such situations are often under mental, financial, and social pressure, and should therefore receive treatment rather than punishment.
By contrast, the Federal Shariat Court argued that the causes of suicide or attempted suicide are not limited to mental illness or psychological stress alone.
They may also include suicide attempts carried out for the purpose of terrorism, hunger strikes for political or financial gain, setting oneself on fire in public by dousing oneself with kerosene oil, and in some cases, suicide attempts influenced by the internet or mobile applications.
According to the court, the circumstances of each person who attempts suicide are different; however, it is not appropriate to decriminalize all suicide attempts regardless of the cause.
The court stated that the Constitution of Pakistan already provides a mechanism for relief for individuals who suffer from mental impairments.
The Federal Shariat Court also sought a reference from the Council of Islamic Ideology, which stated that suicide is a severe sin and must be discouraged.
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 further said, “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 stressed, “Ultimately, the clinical goal is not punishment, but risk reduction, treatment access, and preservation of life through early and non-judgmental intervention.”
