The Pakistan government has disapproved of the two-finger test (TFT) performed on rape victims. They recommended that it should not be part of any medico-legal examination report in sexual assault cases. The Ministry of Law and Justice has intimated the Additional Attorney General at Lahore about the recommendation. He will now inform the Lahore High Court about this matter.
The court seek the law ministry’s response after going through a statement by the World Health Organisation. They declared virginity testing as unscientific, medically unnecessary, and unreliable. The court is seized with two public interest petitions which have challenged the TFT, the report said.
In a statement, the law ministry observed that the TFT was an indefinite test. In addition, the manner in which the test was conducted violated Article 14 of the Constitution. It lays down that human dignity and the privacy of home must be respected under all circumstances and that the right to privacy would come before any other inconsistent provisions of the law.
Petition:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of the National Assembly filed one petition and a group of women’s rights activists, academics, journalists and advocates filed other. The petitioners said that the TFT was “disrespectful, inhumane and violated women’s fundamental rights”.
Myths and Inaccuracies about TFT:
The petitioners further said that this test brings up myths and inaccuracies about female anatomy by ignoring different forms of sexual violence against women and children. They regretted that the test was still common in the country.
The petition also pointed out that the Human Rights Watch, UN Human Rights Organisation and the WHO have called for the 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 exploring claims of rape and sexual assault.