Pakistan’s president announced the suspension of a section of the country’s criminal code to repeal anti-suicide legislation.
This development came in the form of an amendment signed on Friday evening by President Aref Alawi and announced by his office on Twitter, reports a local Arabic daily.
The upper house of Parliament had approved three months ago the amendment, which was submitted by the Pakistan People’s Party.
Under the earlier legislation attempted suicide was punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine, or both in Pakistan.
Salman Sofi, a close aide to Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, welcomed the amendment and said that everyone in distress should be helped and saved, especially those who commit suicide, according to Sky News Arabia.