September 9, 2003	Tuesday	Rajab 11, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The Joint Action Committee, a conglomerate of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), working for women rights has strongly endorsed the recommendations of the National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) to repeal the Hudood Ordinances.

At a protest demonstration staged infront of the main gate of the National Assembly, here on Monday, office bearers of the JAC’s component NGOs chanted slogans in the favour of NCSW’s recommendations.

Around 200 protesters mainly women were also holding placards inscribed with slogans such as “stop misuse of religion Islam” “give equal rights to women” “accept the NCSW’s recommendations with open heart” “Hudood Laws loaded against women’ rights” “revoke all the discriminatory laws against women”.

Later, the protesters were also joined by the women parliamentarians mainly from People’s Party Parliamentarians who also chanted slogans against the on-going Muttahida Majilis-i-Amal-military negotiations.

They were of the view that whenever there was coalition between religious parties and military in the country, women had been the worst affected party.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fahmeeda Mirza of the PPP said: “We have been fighting against the dictatorship for decades and will continue our struggle until all such discriminatory laws are revoked”.

She maintained that Hudood Ordinances were the brainchild of dictator Gen Zia who himself was non-elected and had no right to legislate such discriminatory laws.

Fozia Wahab of the PPP who also joined the protest demonstration was of the view that, women parliamentarians putting aside their political divisions should join hands to provide basic rights to women of the country.

Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali also stopped his motorcade in front of the slogan-chanting protesters and joined them for few minutes.

Talking to the representatives of the JAC, prime minister assured them that he would personally go through recommendations made by the NCSW and would decide its later course of action.