ISLAMABAD, March 31: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has submitted four bills to the National Assembly Secretariat seeking amendments to Hudood laws, informed sources told Dawn here on Wednesday.

In all these amendments, the MQM has suggested that after the word "male" the word "or female" should be inserted. Moved by MQM MNA Kunwar Khalid Younu, these amendments seek accepting the evidence of women besides men in crimes committed under the Hudood laws.

The sources said the MQM MNA had submitted these bills seeking amendments to the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hudood) Order 1979 (P.O. No 4 of 1979), the Offence of Qazf (Enforcement of Hudd) Ordinance 1979 (Ordinance No VIII of 1979), the Offence of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance 1979, (Ordinance No VII of 1979) and the Offences Against Property (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance 1979.

Through these bills, the MQM MNA had sought amendments to the clauses which, according to the source, were "discriminatory against women." In the first bill, regarding amendment to the Prohibition Order 1979, the MNA said the Section 9 dealt with the "proof of drinking liable to Hudd" and clause (b) of the said section required the testimony of "at least two Muslim adult male witnesses" to prove the commission of the offence of drinking. Due to inclusion of the word "male" in this clause, women have been excluded from appearing as witnesses to prove the offence.

In the second bill on the Offence of Zina, the MNA stated that the Clause (b) of Section 8 required that at least four Muslim adult male witnesses should testify the commission of the offence and women had been specifically excluded from giving evidence.

The third bill is regarding amendment to Section 6 of the Offence of Qazf and its clause (c) requires the testimony of "at least two Muslim adult male witnesses".

Similarly, the MQM MNA has sought amendment to Section 7(b) of the Offences Against Property which required again the evidence of two Muslim males to prove the commission of theft. This clause again excludes women even if they are witnesses to it, he added.