Women’s Action Forum thanks anti-Hudood activists and Reiterates demands for total repeal of Huddod Orinance

Daily Times, November 19, 2006

LAHORE: The Women’s Action Forum (WAF) has
thanked the political parties and individuals who
advocated the amendment of Hudood laws and
praised those who had categorically stated their
commitment to repealing the Hudood Ordinance
altogether.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the WAF said
it hoped that the Women’s Protection Bill passed
by the National Assembly on November 15 would
help women by eliminating the possibility of rape
victims being prosecuted for zina and the
abolition of whipping and stoning to death.

"This will only be confirmed when the text of the
bill is made public," the statement said, adding
that the WAF viewed the political compromise made
in approving the bill as "unwarranted and
dangerous“.”WAF is convinced that the new clauses relating
to fornication will be used to victimise people
in the same way that the clauses on zina were
used under the Hudood Ordinances," the statement
said.

"The introduction of the Hudood Ordinances in
1979 resulted in tens of thousands of cases being
registered against innocent women each year," it
said. "It enabled family members and others to
use the Zina Enforcement Ordinance to imprison
and persecute women (and men) who married of
their own choice, and orally divorced women. It
is unclear whether the bill has removed the
previous contradictions between Muslim Family Law
Ordinance (1961) and the Hudood Ordinance.“”WAF
is committed to its long-standing position that
the Hudood Ordinance violates all norms of
decency, justice and human rights,“it said.”It
is the poorest of the poor who are subjected to
the worst of the punishments. Hundreds of women
are imprisoned and many more are on trial for
allegedly committing offences under other aspects
of Hudood laws.“”On behalf of Pakistani women, WAF reiterates its
demand to repeal the Hudood Ordinances in their
entirety and urges members of all political
parties committed to the repeal of the ordinance
to continue their efforts." staff report

* Circulated by South Asia Citizens Wire | November 20, 2006 | Dispatch No. 2319 - Year 8.

 Civil society rejects so-called Women’s Protection Bill

Zia Ur Rehman

16 November 2006

ISLAMABAD, Nov 15: Women rights activists and representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) on Wednesday held a protest demonstration outside the Parliament House to denounce the government’s new position on the Women’s Protection Bill and demanded total repeal of Hudood laws.

Representatives of various organisations, including the Women’s Action Forum, Pattan Development Organisation, Aurat Foundation, Actionaid Pakistan, Sungi Development Foundation, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Rozan, the Network for Consumer Protection, Strengthening Participatory Organisation and Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy, were of the view that the Hudood Ordinances should be repealed in line with the recommendations of the statutory National Commission on the Status of Women.

The demonstration was arranged by the CSOs on the day the parliament took up the controversial Women Protection Bill seeking amendment to Hudood laws.

The protesters, however, rejected the bill, particularly amendments introduced at the behest of the religious parties.

According to a press release, the protesters said the government had succumbed to the pressure of ‘Mullahs’ by accepting their amendments, which would further water down the already flawed text earlier put forward by the National Assembly Select Committee.

Holding placards inscribed with demands for the repeal of Hudood Ordinances and condemning the MMA for undermining human rights in the name of religion, the protesters said the Women Protection Bill would not bring any relief to women. In fact, they said, the “Mullah-recommended” amendments would further worsen the rights situation in the country, leaving women at the mercy of police and judiciary.

The rally demanded that the government should not engage in politicking in the name of women rights and should not make compromises that might hurt women who were already socially, economically and politically vulnerable and weak.

“We strongly demand of the government and all political forces who proclaim themselves as champions of women rights to prove their sincerity now by resisting the Mullahs from further consolidating their political space through an anti-women agenda,” they said.

Zia Ur Rehman

SDPI, Islamabad,

Pakistan