The National Assembly on Wednesday comfortably passed the ''women protection bill'' with a warning from Pakistan Muslim League President Shaujaat Hussain that he would resign as MNA if anything repugnant to Islam, in the new law, was proved afterwards.
The bill carried some minor amendments proposed by religious experts'' committee, which MMA rejected and proposed that its passage should be delayed for at least a day to evolve consensus on it. The government evinced no interest in the idea. Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal members briefly but mildly agitated in the House and then spoke at a news conference i the cafeteria.
MMA said it believed that the law was a bid to turn Pakistan into a ''free sex zone'', eroding the country''s ideological basis, contrary to the two-nation theory and the Constitution. It would trigger alien cultural invasion, doing away with sanctity of family system, one of its MNAs said.
Shujaat appeared upset during the reading of the bill and at one stage gripped his head in both hands. After the House was prorogued, he hurriedly made his exit, ignoring some members who wanted to greet him.
Responding to a volley of strong-worded speeches by some MMA and PML (N) MNAs, Shujaat and Law Minister Wasi Zafar assured the House that another bill, incorporating experts'' recommendations, would be made part of the new piece of legislation.
They brushed aside the apprehensions that the bill was against Islamic teachings. Saad Rafique, Nadir Pervaiz and Fazal Karim joined the MMA walkout while Khwaja Asif and Abid Sher sat along with PPPP members. "According to party line, we will abstain, but would not oppose the bill," Asif clarified on a point of order.
However, they gave no hint when the government would bring such bill in the assembly, or whether entire recommendations of the ''experts'' would be passed.
The ''women protection bill'' titled as ''The Criminal Law Amendment (Protection of Women Bill), 2006, would be tabled in the Senate on November 20.
The PML and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians co-operation on the bill is being seen by political pundits as a solid step towards their possible partnership in the post-election scenario.
The clause-by-clause reading of the legislation was marred by MMA and partttially by PML(N) members'' walkout. They chanted slogans against President Musharraf and the bill, while standing in a corner of the House. As being widely speculated, no resignations came from MMA members. Its President, Qazi, skipped the proceedings.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz dubbed the legislation as historic, saying that with it the womenfolk would get more rights, and excesses against them would be effectively checked.
He stressed that there was nothing in it against the Holy Quran or Sunnah, and added that the ruling party would resign en bloc if, at any stage, the law was proved otherwise.
Some minor amendments were made in the bill: These were from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and PPPP. Before the passage of the bill, the PML chief said that he was speaking on the floor of the House in two capacities--PML president and as Shujaat Hussain.
"As party head, I want this bill should be passed today, and as Shujaat I am presenting my resignation to the Speaker in advance, to accept it if and when it is proved that the bill contains anti-Islam clauses," he said.
With this, much to the astonishment of Treasury benches, he read out the text and handed over his resignation to assembly secretary''s staff, ignoring Wasi Zafar''s call to hold it back.
PPPP''s Aitzaz Ahsan, who always advocated for a liberal society and giving more rights to women, kept low profile and, despite being an ace speaker, did not participate in the debate. Amin Fahim, party''s president, also showed no interest in taking the floor.
Prime Minister Aziz described the new law as a first to safeguard women rights, adding that the government would hold consultations with religious experts and political parties to do more legislation on the subject.
He asserted that the assembly had not passed any law against Islam, and would not do so even in future. "We wish that the assembly, which today completed four years, should complete its five-year term. The legislation carried out here will strengthen democracy," he said.
The Prime Minister thanked the PML allies, PPPP, for supporting the bill, and PML (N) for not opposing it, and called upon MMA to seriously study it, as it was in conformity with Islamic injunctions.
Leader of Opposition and MMA Secretary-General Fazlur Rehman wanted to know what was the urgency to pass the bill, "on which the ruling PML president is confused and MMA is totally opposing it".
He said that one of the key members of the experts committee, Mufti Taqi Usmani, had disowned the amendments incorporated in the draft bill after he saw it on Tuesday night. "The bill moved in the House was neither cleared by the House select committee nor okayed by the experts committee," he said.
MMA female MNA and sister of Shah Ahmed Noorani, Dr Farida Siddiqui, questioned the validity of the proposed law, which already was pending with the Supreme Court.
The veiled member from Karachi expressed fear that the bill was a preparation to prepare ''virgin mothers'' on the path of the United States and France, where the ratio of illegitimate kids was 41 and 61 percent, respectively.
Defending her party''s support to the government, PPPP Information Secretary Sherry Rehman clarified that the party was not supporting the government but the bid to safeguard women rights. She said that PPPP was for total repeal of the Hudood laws, but could not do so during its rule because of not enjoying support of its allies.
"PPPP believes that the new law will help control excesses against women, where justice is being denied to them. We reject the assertion that it will spread immorality," Sherry added. MQM member Dr Farooq Sattar said he believed that the law would herald the beginning of a new political venture, eliminating politics of blackmailing.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed''s daughter Samia Raheel contended that the new bill would mutilate the spirit of the Hudood laws, as the State would be absolving itself of the responsibility of ensuring protection of moral values.
During these speeches, MMA''s Abdul Malik circulated literature among the treasury benches about the implications of the bill. Liaquat Baloch said he believed that the bill was aimed at changing the basic structure of Hudood laws, breaking the legitimate bonds between husband and wife, on the pattern of the West.
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