ISLAMABAD, 6 December 2006 — President Pervez Musharraf promised yesterday to empower women, provide them more opportunities and end injustices against them.
Speaking at a women’s convention in Islamabad Musharraf said there should be equality between men and women but it would be a long drawn-out struggle to achieve.
He was addressing the convention nearly a week after he signed a new legislation curtailing harsh laws dealing with rape.
The Women’s Protection Law, fiercely opposed by conservatives, was seen as a key test of Musharraf’s resolve to pursue his vision of enlightened moderation for the pre-dominantly Muslim country of 160 million people.
“I congratulate the entire nation that an aggressively progressive bill has been passed,” Musharraf told the women’s convention.
Controversy over the reform of laws has highlighted a long struggle between progressives and religious conservatives over the direction of Pakistani society.
He vowed to push ahead with more reforms and laws to eliminate what he called unjust social practices. Musharraf said the government would shortly push through new legislation aimed at empowering women and outlawing forced marriages.
The laws would also ensure women’s right to their inheritance, ban the sale of women in the name of marriage and end the age-old practice of marrying women to the Qur’an to deprive them of their share in property, he said.
“More should be done for women apart from this bill. We want to empower you ... Your destiny, your future should be in your hand,” Musharraf said.
The law passed last week curtailed the scope of strict laws introduced by military dictator Gen. Zia-ul-Haq in 1979.
Under those laws, called the Hudood Ordinance, a rape victim had to produce four male witnesses to prove the assault or face possible prosecution for adultery.
The main amendment took rape out of the sphere of the law and put it under the penal code, doing away with the requirement for four male witnesses and making it easier to prosecute rapists.
An alliance of opposition parties campaigned against the change, saying it would promote “free sex.”
Musharraf derided those who opposed the reform and said people should not vote for them in elections. A general election is due next year or in early 2008.
“These people are against progress of Pakistan. They believe in extremism. They don’t believe in moderation,” he said.
“Remember, you have to cast a vote. Remember, you will not vote for those who are against you. Go into the field and mobilize people not to vote for the wrong people,” he said.
“If you do that then the future of Pakistan will always be bright,” he said.
Musharraf praised federal ministers Dr. Sher Afgan, Wasi Zafar and Sumaira Malik for working tirelessly to make new laws to empower women.
In a humorous vein he said, “Now we will also have to pass another law for the protection of men.” He said the government’s policy was to turn Pakistan into a dynamic and progressive Islamic state.”
Musharraf said no law can be enacted in Pakistan that is against the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. “Unfortunately, Islamic teachings were misinterpreted by a few scholars who consider ‘man-made’ laws as Islamic laws.”
President Musharraf said the Women’s Empowerment Bill would end deprivation of women in the country.
Speaking earlier Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said, “The government has inducted women into the air force, army and navy and doubled job quota for them in civil services. We will make more laws for the protection of women.”
Women’s groups have called for the total repeal of the Hudood laws, which stipulate that women adulterers can be stoned to death. One woman at the convention yesterday said changes to law books were useless as long as so many women remained uneducated. “These laws are of no use to women if they are not educated and know about their rights,” said Tahira Munawar, a principal of a government girls’ school.
