ISLAMABAD, 14 February 2007 — Pakistan’s ruling party yesterday introduced a bill to outlaw forced marriages, including under an ancient tribal custom in which women are married off in order to settle feuds.
The proposed law — Anti-Women Practices Bill — was introduced by Pakistan Muslim League (Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the National Assembly, or the lower house of Parliament.
Shujaat’s party, which has a majority in both houses, strongly supports President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who has vowed to give women more rights in line with his policy to project Pakistan as a moderate, progressive Islamic country.
“Whoever coerces, or in any manner whatsoever compels a woman to enter into marriage shall be punished with imprisonment” for up to three years and a fine, according to the proposed law.
The bill foresees the same penalty to discourage “wanni” or “swara,” a tribal custom in which a woman is forced into marriage to settle a dispute between two families or clans. Another provision bans forcing a woman into a “marriage with the Holy Qur’an,” a practice still seen in parts of rural Sindh and Punjab in which a woman swears on the holy book never to marry. Critics argue the tradition is used to prevent a woman from taking her share of a family’s land with her when she marries.
Illegally depriving a woman of her inheritance rights would be punished with up to seven years in jail, under the bill.
The government had earlier adopted the Women’s Protection and Empowerment Bill, which is now part of the statute.
Shujaat said the government intends to enact laws, which are aimed at reforming society. He expressed the hope that other parties including the Pakistan People’s Party of Benazir Bhutto will support the government in the passage of the current bill. The PPP had voted for women’s bill.
— Additional input from agencies
