A woman doctor in Pakistan’s Punjab province has been terminated from her position for performing a virginity test on a minor rape victim, defying a ban on the practice. Dr. Aliza Gill’s dismissal was ordered by the Punjab government on Tuesday.
The Lahore High Court had previously banned the two-finger test in rape examinations, labeling it “humiliating and having no forensic value.” Justice Farooq Haider emphasized during the hearing that under no circumstances should such tests be conducted or documented in medicolegal reports. The court expressed deep concern over reports of hospitals continuing to conduct these tests in violation of the ban.
Highlighting the seriousness of the matter, Justice Haider criticized doctors issuing medical certificates against the legal directives, stressing that such actions should be addressed promptly.
In response to the court’s directives, the Punjab government informed that Dr. Gill’s dismissal was in accordance with the court’s judgment. They further stated that comprehensive instructions have been issued to medical practitioners across the province, explicitly prohibiting the use of virginity tests in the medicolegal examination of female victims of sexual assault.
The government’s counsel, Raj Maqsood, informed the court that the Surgeon Medical Officer of Punjab has recommended the establishment of a new medical board to oversee examinations of victims. The court adjourned the hearing until Thursday for further proceedings.
