Govt offers MMA to sent WP Bill to CII
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—The Women Protection Bill can be dispatched to Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) for a review, if Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) request in black and white, before the President’s endorsement.
“The government could only consider the option, if Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Maulana Fazlur Rehman lodge a formal request in written”, Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Wasi Zafar said on Monday. said the Minister while talking to a private TV channel here. He said MMA could challenge the WPB in Supreme Court or Federal Shariat Court if they considered it contrary to Islamic injunctions.
“Fazl-ur-Rehman and his associates had no objection on the Bill”, said the Minister adding “they submitted some proposals to Chaudary Shujaat which were included in the Bill”. The Minister said the MMA wanted to use resignations as a political tool. “They must approach the Apex Court or FSC in case of any objection”, the Minister maintained.
MMA central leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said religious alliance will consider ARD, PML-N viewpoint on resignations before taking any final decision on this count. “ARD and PML-N are pressurizing us that MMA should not resign from assembly and join hands with opposition to launch country wide anti government movement. When situation is created MMA should tender resignations en-masse with other opposition parties. We will take any decision after considering opposition parties opinion. The component parties of religious grouping will be consulted on this matter in parliamentary party meeting”, he said this while addressing a press conference at his residence here Monday.
“ We are also considering other options than resignations “, he remarked. Commenting on Govt-PPP Parliamentarian deal, he said PPP-P has committed political suicide by supporting government on Women Protection Bill (WPB). It has lost confidence of the people. PPP-P on one hand opposed Hudood bill on the plea that it was promulgated by a military dictator and on the other hand they supported WPB enforced by an other military dictator he said adding this way they have negated their own stance.
People will not accept which ever party strikes deal with Musharraf and establishment, he warned. Therefore, the political parties should formulate joint strategy. All the women rights were guaranteed in Hasba Bill but the federal government resorted to the court and got its enforcement suspended, he underlined. On the other hand no safeguards are laid down for women rights in WPB, he added.
On MMA-PML(Q) political alliance, he said how ironical it was that on one hand PML-Q was enacting legislation against Quran and Sunnah and on the other side they are expecting support from Ulema. People will vote for those who stand against supporters of General Musharraf in general elections, he added.