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| Pak Govt puts off plans to amend controversial Islamic laws | | |
Islamabad, Sept 15 Pakistan government has indefinitely put off plans to amend controversial Islamic laws, including one that makes rape victims liable to prosecution for adultery if they fail to produce four male witnesses following irreconcilable differences between key allies of the ruling coalition and friendly Islamist parties.
Flayed by human rights activists as "surrender" to the pressure tactics by the Islamist Mushahida Majlil Amal (MMA) parties, which threatened to quit Parliament Assemblies if the government went ahead with the Protection of Women bill, the government has put off the plans indefinitely, a media report said.
This is considered the biggest reversal suffered by President Pervez Musharraf who publicly pressed for the passage of the bill, the 'Dawn' newspaper said.
Not sure of the course of action to be taken, specially due to the sensitive foreign trip undertaken by President Pervez Musharraf is in Havana, the capital of Cuba to attend the NAM summit, the government put off further debate on the bill in the National Assembly indefinitely.
Under the controversial Islamic law called the Hudood Ordinance law, rape victims are liable for prosecution for adultery unless they produce four male witnesses. The laws were introduced in 1979 by Geneeral Zia-ul-Haq.
The proposed amendments have invited widespread opposition from religious leaders.
Lawmakers have said the proposed amendments would eliminate the four-witness requirement and ensure that rape cases are tried in civil courts. |
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