PESHAWAR, May 1: A Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) MPA from Shangla has submitted a resolution in the Provincial Assembly, which if unanimously passed by the house, will make wearing of veil compulsory for every women in the NWFP.

“The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government wants to implement the Islamic laws or shariat in the province, and wearing a veil should be made compulsory for every girl above 12 years of age when she goes out of her house,” mover of the resolution, Pir Muhammad Khan told Dawn .

According Section 135(2) proviso of the Procedure and Conduct of Provincial Assembly, “If a resolution is unanimously adopted, it shall be binding on the Provincial Cabinet to implement the same”.

But women MPAs of the opposition have expressed their disapproval of the resolution, which is likely to be put before the house in the current session.

Nighat Yasmeen Orakzai of the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) said women wore shalwar qameez and shawl which in no way could be termed un-Islamic.

All the women MPAs too followed a decent dress code in the house, so moving such a resolution was useless and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government would face resistance from women hailing from all walks of life as, according to her, parda already existed in the NWFP.

The opposition a few days ago also resisted an Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal resolution describing the pant and shirt as un-Islamic dress and criticized the MMA for “making a non-issue an issue in the house”.

“The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MPAs are always busy making an issue out of something which is a non-issue. Wearing veil is a personal affair and nobody can force a woman to wear it,” a women MPA of the Awami National Party, Farah Aqil Shah, told Dawn.

She was surprised that of all the women problems, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government was touching such a sensitive thing.

The MPA said there were many other serious problems which people in general and women in particular were facing, and suggested that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government should discuss and solve problems of women education and health in the NWFP rather than persisting on such non-issues in the house.

Pir Muhammad Khan said that if a woman was not wearing veil, she was committing a great sin.

“Women should wear the veil which should hide their hair and the entire body, except eyes and hands, when they go out,” he said.

“As a Muslim woman I don’t disapprove of veil or Parda, but I will resist this resolution if moved in the house,” Nighat Yasmeen Orakzai said.