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Musharraf promises more legislation to protect women, hails new Act

Nirupama Subramanian

`New Act triumph of enlightened moderation over retrogressive forces'

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday promised more legislation against social practices that are unjust to women and said the new Women's Protection Act was a victory for moderate forces in Pakistan. Speaking at a women's convention in the capital, Gen. Musharraf said the Government would pass more laws to eliminate practices such as triple "talaq," marriage to the Koran and the practice of settling disputes by offering a girl in marriage. The Government would also strengthen inheritance laws and facilitate more jobs for women in order to empower them, he said. Riding high on the passage of the Women's Protection Bill through Parliament in the face of political threats from the coalition of religious parties, President Musharraf hailed the new Actas the triumph of enlightened moderationover retrogressive forces. The President said the new law did not go against anything in the Koran and Sunnah, and that he had this from the Council of Islamic Ideology, a consultative body on religious affairs appointed by the Government.

He repeated what he has been saying since the Bill's approval by Parliament — when the elections come, vote for moderate forces. The President said women who constitute half of the country's population must reject forces that wanted to keep them deprived and underprivileged, and asked them defeat such extremist elements. He also reiterated praise for Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, the only Opposition party to have supported the legislation.

These oft-repeated twin statements by the President have increased speculation about a realignment of political forces in Pakistan before the coming elections, possibly an "arrangement" between the Musharraf regime and the PPP. Parliamentary and Presidential elections are due in 2007.

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