Govt willing to amend women protection act, says PUC

Ashrafi calls on religious leaders to present suggestions, says situation has become better because of PM Nawaz

LAHORE: Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) chairman Tahir Ashrafi claimed on Friday that the government was willing to amend the women protection act.

Ashrafi made the remarks while speaking to religious leaders of various schools of thought. Therefore, he said, religious leaders should present recommendations and suggestions in this regard.  Briefing them on Thursday’s meeting between the ulema committee and government representatives, Ashrafi said an agreement had been reached over successive meetings to amend the bill.



The PUC chairman said the situation had gotten better courtesy the role played by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Had the government sought the assistance of religious leaders before the bill’s passage in the Provincial Assembly (PA), Ashrafi said, the situation would not have taken a turn for the worse in the first place. He also expressed hope that there would be no further controversy regarding the bill being amended.

Responding to queries, he said no one including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should play with the Constitution. He said it categorically defined minorities’ rights.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Chief Minister’s Special Monitoring Unit (SMU) Senior Member Salman Sufi said no changes would be made to the law. However, he said, some of its clauses will be clarified in the rules.

“The ulema presented four observations. We agreed to clarify them in the rules. No clause will be amended,” Sufi said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2016.