Sunday, December 10, 2006
WP Act will never be changed, undone: We are ready for bluffers: Musharraf
By Ali Waqar
LAHORE: President General Pervez Musharraf has said that the Womenââ¬â¢s Protection Act will not be changed or undone.
ââ¬ÅWhatever has been passed is passed and canââ¬â¢t be undone,ââ¬Â Gen Musharraf said on Saturday in an address at the concluding session of an international conference, titled ââ¬ËThe Other self: Conflict, Confusion or Compromiseââ¬â¢, and arranged by the National Commission on the Status of Women and the United Nations Development Programme.
Gen Musharraf said the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amalââ¬â¢s threat to resign from parliament if the legislation were passed was a bluff. ââ¬ÅLet us see who resigns from the parliament, we are ready to deal with the situation,ââ¬Â he added.
He said passing the Womenââ¬â¢s Protection Bill was a serious challenge. ââ¬ÅThe Hudood Ordinance is not only a religious issue but also political and administrative,ââ¬Â he said. ââ¬ÅPeople would have come on the roads if this bill had not been dealt with properly,ââ¬Â he added.
The president said the Hudood Ordinance was not one ordinance about women issues but also four other laws, which were not touched. The government had not touched the Hudood law banning alcohol.
Gen Musharraf reiterated that the legislation was in compliance with Islamic injunctions. ââ¬ÅOur country is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ... and no law can be passed against the Quran and Sunnah in this country,ââ¬Â he said. He said every Islamic school of thought or cleric had their own interpretation and the difficulty was determining which interpretation was correct. ââ¬ÅAnd many have been opposing this bill just because they are opposing me or they have vested interests,ââ¬Â he said.
He said the Council of Islamic Ideology was the only recognised body with the authority to determine whether laws were Islamic or un-Islamic, and the council had cleared the Womenââ¬â¢s Protection Act.
Gen Musharraf said Pakistan was unfairly singled out as a country where women were treated poorly, saying these issues existed worldwide. He said the Mukhtar Mai and Dr Shazia Khaild cases had defamed Pakistan, despite the fact he had done all he could to help them out.
Online adds: Gen Musharraf announced on Saturday that he would remain in uniform, and reiterated that the next general election would be held in 2007.
ââ¬ÅI am always uniformed and will remain uniformed tomorrow,ââ¬Â Gen Musharraf said while talking to journalists after the conference. Talking about discrimination against women, the president said that womenââ¬â¢s trafficking, vani and forced marriages were some of the issues which needed immediate attention.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\10\story_10-12-2006_pg1_1
WP Act will never be changed, undone: We are ready for bluffers: Musharraf
By Ali Waqar
LAHORE: President General Pervez Musharraf has said that the Womenââ¬â¢s Protection Act will not be changed or undone.
ââ¬ÅWhatever has been passed is passed and canââ¬â¢t be undone,ââ¬Â Gen Musharraf said on Saturday in an address at the concluding session of an international conference, titled ââ¬ËThe Other self: Conflict, Confusion or Compromiseââ¬â¢, and arranged by the National Commission on the Status of Women and the United Nations Development Programme.
Gen Musharraf said the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amalââ¬â¢s threat to resign from parliament if the legislation were passed was a bluff. ââ¬ÅLet us see who resigns from the parliament, we are ready to deal with the situation,ââ¬Â he added.
He said passing the Womenââ¬â¢s Protection Bill was a serious challenge. ââ¬ÅThe Hudood Ordinance is not only a religious issue but also political and administrative,ââ¬Â he said. ââ¬ÅPeople would have come on the roads if this bill had not been dealt with properly,ââ¬Â he added.
The president said the Hudood Ordinance was not one ordinance about women issues but also four other laws, which were not touched. The government had not touched the Hudood law banning alcohol.
Gen Musharraf reiterated that the legislation was in compliance with Islamic injunctions. ââ¬ÅOur country is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ... and no law can be passed against the Quran and Sunnah in this country,ââ¬Â he said. He said every Islamic school of thought or cleric had their own interpretation and the difficulty was determining which interpretation was correct. ââ¬ÅAnd many have been opposing this bill just because they are opposing me or they have vested interests,ââ¬Â he said.
He said the Council of Islamic Ideology was the only recognised body with the authority to determine whether laws were Islamic or un-Islamic, and the council had cleared the Womenââ¬â¢s Protection Act.
Gen Musharraf said Pakistan was unfairly singled out as a country where women were treated poorly, saying these issues existed worldwide. He said the Mukhtar Mai and Dr Shazia Khaild cases had defamed Pakistan, despite the fact he had done all he could to help them out.
Online adds: Gen Musharraf announced on Saturday that he would remain in uniform, and reiterated that the next general election would be held in 2007.
ââ¬ÅI am always uniformed and will remain uniformed tomorrow,ââ¬Â Gen Musharraf said while talking to journalists after the conference. Talking about discrimination against women, the president said that womenââ¬â¢s trafficking, vani and forced marriages were some of the issues which needed immediate attention.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\10\story_10-12-2006_pg1_1