Torture bill July 14, 2021 Torture and custodial deaths are not an uncommon phenomenon in Pakistan. Civil society and human-rights organisations have been trying for a law to prevent such practices. Now, the Senate of Pakistan has adopted the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Bill 2021, generating hope that this crime will no more be condoned for lack of an appropriate law. Torture and custodial killings are now criminal offences. The law makes police and other government officials accountable if they perpetrate torture on people in their custody. The PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman, and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari supported the Bill and managed to get the required votes in the Senate. The Bill states that any public servant involved in torture would face up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs2 million. If public servants either intentionally or unintentionally fail to prevent torture they will face up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to one million rupees. The Bill further stipulates that ‘whoever commits, abets, or conspires to commit the offence of custodial death or custodial sexual violence’, will receive punishment of imprisonment for life and fine which may extend to Rs3 million.