Recommend two procedural changes; Shujaat tells religious scholars govt will respond on 9th; president to be briefed before next round of talks
By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: A dialogue between distinguished religious leaders and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) regarding protection of women’s rights and the Women Protection Act (WPA) succeeded in finding a fresh ground for amending the act enforced last week through fresh legislation.
A 16-member delegation of religious leaders of various schools of thought headed by Justice (retd) Maulana Taqi Usmani and PML team led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain held talks for three hours on Sunday to reach an agreement over differences on some clauses of the WPA.
The talks took place at the residence of Shujaat and it was decided that another round of talks would be held by Saturday next. The Ulema delegation has proposed removal of some of the un-Islamic characteristics of the act through a fresh legislation. A one-page memorandum, signed by all the 16 religious leaders, was handed over to the ruling PML for due consideration while Shujaat presented copies of the private bill, introduced by him in the National Assembly last month for further protection of women’s rights, to the delegation.
Senator Wasim Sajjad, leader of the House in the Senate who assisted Shujaat at the talks, proposed that the religious leaders approach the Shariat Court for getting a verdict on the clauses not acceptable to them but the religious leaders did not agree with the suggestion and asked the needful to be done through parliament.
Wasim Sajjad dispelled the impression that the act enforced last week was devised to please President Bush or anybody else. “We have good intention on our part and in no way any one of us considered it un-Islamic,” he said.
The religious leaders assured that they have entered into dialogue with the government out of love for religion and they had nothing to do with politics. The religious leaders pointed out four clauses as repugnant to Islamic injunctions in the WPA and two procedural lacunas in the act. Shujaat sought clause-wise elaboration from the religious leaders, who briefed the PML team in detail.
“We would like to consider incorporation of the proposals in the private bill if they could help improve the fate of women of the country,” Shujaat assured the delegation. The private bill of Shujaat deals with injustices with women in inheritance, marriage with the Holy Qur’aan, sale-purchase of women, marrying them with old people, their barter marriages and other unethical and unsocial traditions harming the interests of women.
Shujaat said the government would make all-out efforts to ensure that women get their due social, political and legal rights in the society. He said women, who constitute half of the population, be given all rights in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
He said some elements were trying to score a political point, but the government was committed to continuing its efforts to improve the living standard of women. The PML president said all the religious circles should give suggestions regarding Women Protection Bill and, if necessary, we would make amendments in the same in the light of their suggestions.
He said the government wants to get along all political and religious parties. There is a need to make concerted efforts to further empower women and help them utilize their talent and potential to the fullest.
Talking to newsmen at his residence, Shujaat said the government would reply to the reservations of the Ulema Committee on the WPA by December 9 after consultation with the allied parties. “If consensus reaches on some of the suggestions, these would be incorporated in the other proposed bill for women’s protection,” he said.
According to sources, the Ulema reservations include exclusion of rape from Hadd, powers to the provincial governments to reduce punishment in adultery cases under Clause 5 of Section 20 of the bill, amendments to Qazf Ordinance and another amendment to the Qazf Ordinance in which if a woman voluntarily admits her offence she would remain exempted from Hadd.
During the meeting, Shujaat presented a copy of the other Women’s Protection Bill he had submitted to the National Assembly last month and sought comments of the Ulema on the same.
Shujaat reiterated his stance that no legislation could be made contrary to the teachings of Islam. He said the government wishes to have further consultations with religious figures besides fully acknowledging the role of the Islamic Ideology Council.
He brushed aside the impression that the consultation process was a parallel arrangement to the Islamic Ideology Council or an arrangement over and above the Parliament. “It is a continued process of consultation,” he clarified.
He said the bill would help eradicate unsocial norms such as exchanged or barter marriages and provide a level-playing field to women to play their effective role for betterment of the country.
Those who attended the meeting included Leader of the House in the Senate Wasim Sajjad, PML Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Syed, Federal Ministers Muhammad Ali Durrani and Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Senator MM Talha, Tabish Alwari, Justice (retd) Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhri, Maulana Hassan Jan, Maulana Hafiz Fazlur Rahim, Qazi Niaz Hussain Naqvi, Dr Sarfraz Naeemi, Hafiz Abdul Rasheed Azhar, Maulana Anwarul Haq, Qazi Abdul Rasheed, Maulana Zahoor Ahmad Alwi, Mufti Abdul Rehman, Dr Abdul Razzaq Sikandar, Maulana Azizur Rehman Hazarvi, Maulana Mulazim Hussain, Maulana Nazir Farooqui and Maulana Akhlaq Ahmad.
It is expected that the PML leadership would brief President Pervez Musharraf about the Sunday talks before entering into the next round of dialogue with the leading religious leaders. The sources have indicated that the WPA would not be amended even if the two sides strike an agreement to bring about changes in the procedures.
