KARACHI, 19 November 2006 — The Muttahida Qaumi Movement took out a spectacular rally in Karachi to celebrate the passage of the Women Protection Bill (WPB) by the National Assembly and described it as a referendum against ‘mullahism’.
Altaf Hussain, founder leader of MQM, speaking from London said that his party would never allow women’s rights to be usurped and would frustrate all designs to create rifts on sectarian or religious basis.
The supporters carried signs praising the passing of the bill as a “Victory for Women.”
“We thank God that despite opposition by the religious parties, a system of perpetrating oppression against women has been ended,” said Altaf Hussain. The rally, organized at 24 hour’s notice, saw the biggest ever turn out by women at any single congregation.
The people of Karachi experienced severe traffic jams as various political and religious parties organized rallies and demonstrations for and against the Women’s Protection Bill throughout the city’s main sections.
Coalition supporters staged small rallies in different parts of Karachi to condemn the revised legislation. At one, Islamists supporters carried a large sign reading: “The law will turn Pakistan into a free sex zone. We will throw away the government.” The Karachi Traffic Police blocked the Jinnah Road as the MQM rally crawled from Guru Mandir Chowk to Tibet Chowk. Anyone trying to get to OMI or Anklesaria hospitals or the free mental health clinic next to OMI had a difficult time circumnavigating the area as the road leading to Electronic market from the Zainab Market intersection was blocked off without any warning.
Alternate routes were announced but the police failed to maintain any semblance of order on those routes. An overhead bridge and more than 24 roads, including a few main roads, that are under construction in the traffic police’s zones II, III and IV, caused further inconvenience to commuters.
A shopkeeper at Guru Mandir, Ahsan, a hotel owner Muhammad Salim, and a businessman of Saddar, Manzoor Qadri, condemned the protests and said that in the presence of an elected Parliament, why did parties bring their issues onto the roads?
These parties should be sensitive to the problems that they have caused to the people. If it was so important for them to show their support, then they should rally on the highways outside the city and spare citizens any suffering.
Human rights groups cautiously praised the amendments, but said the Hudood Ordinance — a strict Islamic law — should be repealed altogether.
