Pakistani religious parties have turned down the government’s offer for dialogue on the controversial women protection law.
Pakistani religious parties have turned down the government’s offer for dialogue on the controversial women protection law.
The government asked the right-wing parties to hold talks to sort out the differences on the recently passed Women Protection Act. A telephonic communication between Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif failed to bring the desired results for the government.
“Maulana Fazlur Rehman replied that the matter had gone beyond the demand of changing the law,” said a JUI-F insider. Although the government is ready to talk with the clerics to satisfy their concerns on the Act yet it is not ready to reverse the law which the Punjab Assembly had passed in its last session after holding deliberation on it for about three years.
The religious parties, including JUI-F, the Jamiat-e-Islami, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, JUI-Sami, Tehrik-e-Islami and others, demand withdrawal of the Act on the ground that the Council of Islamic Ideology and Ulema Council were not consulted before passing this law. These parties strongly believe the Act is contrary to the Islamic injunctions.
