A new law authorizing the use of chemical castration as a punishment for men convicted of rape in Pakistan has drawn criticism from medical experts and human rights activists who say the measure is a misguided and inhumane approach to tackling the pervasive issue of sexual assault. 

Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan approved the new law on November 26. The measure was included in a draft of new legislation in response to public outcry over sexual assaults following the brutal gang-rape of a woman in front of her children on a motorway near Lahore on September 9.

Pakistan has seen a rise in the number of rape cases reported across the country in recent years. According to government statistics, just 5% of the 5,000 rape cases reported annually to police result in conviction. Rights groups say most rapes are never reported in the first place.

Chemical castration — not to be confused with surgical castration, in which the testes are removed — is a procedure by which testosterone levels are reduced by hormone injections, with the aim of reducing sex drive. The treatment can last three to five years in duration.