These are truly some of the most WTF laws in Pakistan that are so confusing

Pakistan is a land full of surprises. While it boasts the presence of a huge number of distinct ethnic groups, it, at the same time, harbors some weird laws that deny they diversity. The first step towards abolishing or modifying these laws, at least, is their recognition.

For this very purpose, here’s a list of some of the weirdest laws in Pakistan that will leave you fairly appalled. Here you go:

1. You don’t acknowledge the existence of Israel as a citizen of Pakistan even though it is named on our passports

How can we name something called Israel on our passports if we don’t even acknowledge its existence?

2. A transgender person cannot join army.

As if their lives weren’t already hard enough.

3. Before the Protection of Women Act in 2006, if you’d been raped you needed to produce four eye-witnesses in order to be proven as a victim.

Yes, until FOUR adults saw you getting raped, you are a fucking liar. The Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act 2006 has tried to override this law by introducing an element of DNA evidence being admitted during rape cases but the issue remains controversial owing to varying interpretations.

4. The Prime Minister of Pakistan MUST be a Muslim but doesn’t really need any education to be a PM.

The eligibility requirements do mention an “adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings and practices obligatory duties prescribed by Islam as well as abstains from major sins” but doesn’t state any set educational criteria.

5. A non-Muslim, one that is defined as non-Muslim only under the eyes of this law, cannot be a Prime Minister of the country no matter how capable that person is.

6. You can conveniently get a blasphemy case registered against anyone by saying something as trivial as “Astaghfirullah, main bata nahi sakta us ne kia kaha hai.“

You don’t really need to prove someone actually committed blasphemy to get them in jail, you just need to say “uff tauba” and magic happens.

7. According to the Diyat and Qisas laws, a murderer can go without punishment if they pay money to the family of their victim.

The Raymond Davis case, is an infamous example.

“Aik jaan kee qeemat tum kia jaano, Ramesh”

8. You cannot eat in public in Ramazan, even if you are a non-Muslim, or an old man

Remember how that really old baba jee was beaten up this year for eating? Yup, it was all legal, apparently.

9. You now cannot post any funny memes about any political leader regardless of how immature they may act sometimes, thanks to the new cyber crime law. 

10. You can be put in jail for sending a text message to an unknown number

Lol yes, technically, it is the law under the cyber crime bill. It’s execution, however, is another story.

Well, laws are some of the WTF laws in Pakistan. They may make you go WTF or leave you scratching your heads but they are done deal. Unless someone brings some tabdeeli and changes the laws for the better (Lol, who are we kidding?).

Editor’s note: This article has been edited to include information regarding the Protection of Women Act, which was not included earlier.

Cover image via: Express Entertainment