Pakistan govt agrees to amend women protection law

The Pakistan government has succumbed to the religious parties’ pressure and agreed to amend the controversial women protection law to the satisfaction of the protesting clerics.

Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah said on Monday the government will amend the law in consultation with the religious groups.

“We have decided to amend the law to satisfy the religious parties. Now they should be happy,” he said in Lahore.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif assured Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman that “reservations” of religious circles on women protection act will be resolved.

The Punjab chief minister had already constituted a committee to hold consultative meetings with clerics to address their “grievances” on the act which Punjab Assembly passed in February.

However, the Prime Minister called the JUI-F chief to his residence at Raiwind to further discuss the matter.

The Islamist parties’ leaders are furious on government’s “un-Islamic moves in shape of Mumtaz Qadri execution and passing of women bill from Punjab legislature.”

They have already announced to start a joint move against the government which according to them “bents upon changing the Islamic identity of the country into a secular and liberal state.”

An insider said that Mr Sharif sought Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s recommendations on the matter during the meeting and ensured the latter to also hold consultation at federal level to address the concerns of religious parties.

The law allows women to throw their husbands out of their homes if their behaviour is unbecoming or in case of physical abuse.

The clerics believe it negates Islamic teachings.