Mental Health Law in Pakistan: An Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the mental health law in Pakistan. Mental health law in Pakistan is in its budding phase. Although there are mental health laws in Pakistan, these are not functional. The doctrinal legal analysis method was employed to study the mental health law in Pakistan. Since health is a provincial subject, provinces and other administrative units enacted their own mental health laws in Pakistan. As far as the implementation of these laws is concerned, nowhere in Pakistan are these laws being implemented. The province of Sindh is ahead of other provinces and administrative units in Pakistan in the enactment of mental health laws, but still there is a lack of proper implementation of mental health laws in the province of Sindh. Mental health laws across the country need to be amended and implemented to cater to the mental health needs of the masses in Pakistan.