Azmat Syed Khurram, Bilgrami Mohsina, Shaikh Babar T, Mustafa Ghulam, Hameed Waqas
Department, Marie Stopes Society, 21-C, Commercial Area, Old Sunset Boulevard, Phase II, Defense Housing Authority, 75500 Karachi, Pakistan.
Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care. 2012 Apr;17(2):155-63. doi: 10.3109/13625187.2011.637585. Epub 2011 Dec 18.
The number of unsafe abortions is increasing across South Asia, also in Pakistan, where abortion is only permitted under special circumstances. The law on abortion is vaguely interpreted by the legal community.
Using Grounded Theory, 33 in-depth interviews of representatives of the legal profession and law enforcement agencies were conducted in 2010.
Abortion is perceived as forbidden by both law and religion, and a punishable crime. Respondents believed that sentences are highly dependent on the social status of the woman who had the abortion. A few consider the current law as relevant and sufficient whereas the majority would support amendments. A number of them agreed that the high abortion rate reflects the denial of women's rights, social injustice, and a failure of public health intervention.
To facilitate access of women to abortion and related care, the knowledge of the existing law among legal professionals must improve. The implications of abortion for maternal health and its repercussions on a community governed by the Islamic dogmas must be publicised. The legal community could have an instrumental role in bringing about attitudinal changes vis-à-vis abortions in the society.
在整个南亚地区，不安全堕胎的数量都在增加，巴基斯坦也是如此，在该国堕胎仅在特殊情况下被允许。法律界对堕胎法的解释含糊不清。
2010年，运用扎根理论对法律专业人士和执法机构代表进行了33次深度访谈。
堕胎被视为既违反法律又违背宗教，是一种应受惩罚的罪行。受访者认为量刑高度依赖于堕胎女性的社会地位。少数人认为现行法律相关且充分，而大多数人支持修订。他们中的一些人一致认为高堕胎率反映了妇女权利被剥夺、社会不公以及公共卫生干预的失败。
为便于妇女获得堕胎及相关护理，法律专业人士对现行法律的了解必须得到提高。必须宣传堕胎对孕产妇健康的影响及其在受伊斯兰教义支配的社区中的后果。法律界在促使社会对堕胎的态度发生转变方面可以发挥重要作用。
