Pakistan, Feb. 22 -- In an extremely rare show of inter-party solidarity, the upper house, on Monday, successfully opposed the motion seeking the public hanging of rape offenders.

Following the varied lines of argument that echoed from different corners to the dot, the country also seems divided on the issue. Reasonably so, some argue that such a punishment would serve as a deterrent to potential offenders while others believe that it violates human rights and dignity.

Because the UN has repeatedly stated that the death penalty, in any form, is a violation of fundamental rights and there's little information available to substantiate public executions as an effective deterrence, lawmakers and rights advocates are perhaps fighting for a ...