The gender identity of the unborn child cannot be revealed, the full High Court ruling has been published.

❐ Staff Reporter

The High Court has published the full verdict on the writ petition seeking to stop the determination and disclosure of the sex of the fetus.

The ruling, released today, Monday, May 11, declared that determining and revealing the sex of an unborn child is discrimination against women, a risk of female infanticide, and a violation of constitutional rights.

A High Court bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Qazi Zeenat Haque has directed the Directorate General of Health Services to create a central digital database to store diagnostic information of unborn babies within six months.

Writ petitioner lawyer Ishrat Hasan confirmed this information.

In its ruling, the court said that such practices are against women’s dignity, equality, and right to life and are in conflict with multiple articles of the Constitution.

Earlier, on January 26, 2020, Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan filed a writ petition to stop the disclosure of the identity of the unborn child.