Govt reaches out to MMA on women bill

ISLAMABAD—The government and Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) have agreed on the constitution of a combined committee for the reviewing of amendments in the Hudood Ordinance Bill (HOB) which after reviewing the bill in detail would present its recommendations.
Important negotiations were held Wednesday in this regard between the government and MMA in the chamber of the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazl-u-Rehman.
President Pakistan Muslim League (PML), Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain, Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Wasi Zafar, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Ijaz-ul-Haq, Minister of State for Law, Shahid Akram Bhandar, Chief Whip PML, Nasarullah Dareshak, Opposition Leader Maulana Fazl-u-Rehman, Chief Minister NWFP, Akram Khan Durrani, members National Assembly Liaqat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Asad Ullah Bhutto, Rahamt Ullah Khalil and Maulana Ata-u-Rehman were participated in the negotiations.
Minister for Law and Justice, Wasi Zafar after the conclusion of the negotiations, informed newsmen that both MMA and the government have agreed on the constitution of a committee comprising of Ulemas which would review Tazir and change in clauses. He said that the committee would be consulted aiming for creating consonance on any amendments.
The committee comprising of Maulana Taqi Usmani, Maulana Sarfaraz Naeemi, Hanif Jhalandari, Maulana Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Liaqat Baloch, Naseeb Ali Shah, Maulana Abdul Malik and Minister for Law and Justice Wasi Zafar.
Liaqat Baloch on the occasion said that Ulema would review the draft, however he said that the bill is not acceptable for us. Any bill in accordance with the teachings of Quran and Sunnah only be acceptable, he added.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that no bill against Quran and Sunnah would be acceptable.—Online