LAHORE, July 12: The Shariat Bill presented by an MNA from Jhang will create social, political and religious problems for minorities, which constitute 2.5 per cent of the total population, fears a group of Christians and progressive citizens.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Khalil Tahir of the Christian Democratic Front, Uzma Saeed of the Aurat Foundation and Robin Daniel of the Christian Labour Front demanded that non-Muslims should be consulted before enacting laws that might affect their basic rights.

The Christians said they would challenge it in the Supreme Court, if their campaign against the bill went unheard.

Terming the 17-point bill moved by Maulana Azam Tariq a duplicate of the bills tabled in 1990 and then in 1999 and of 15th constitutional amendment, they admitted that the proposed statute contained the clarification that it would not be applicable on family laws of non-Muslims.

However, they feared that Islamization, as suggested in the bill, would surely affect the non-Muslims because its application on minorities’ family laws, including the Christian Marriage Act, still needed explanation.

Answering a question, Mrs Saeed said the bill excluded the women rights granted to them under the constitution. She also feared that it would also hold back the protection to the existing political system.

About the Shariat Bill unanimously adopted by the NWFP Assembly a couple of weeks ago, she said religious forces wanted a space in civil society, besides becoming the vanguard of making the country a religious state.