ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: The government on Tuesday informed the National Assembly that opposition to the proposed enforcement of Hudood laws was being given serious consideration and a bill would soon be moved to amend the controversial law.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi said this in response to a bill sought to be moved by Rana Asif Tauseef of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). Mr Tauseef called for amending the Crime of Qazaf (Nifaz Hadd) Ordinance 1979 as Bill on Crime of Qazaf, Amendment Bill 2004 (amending section 8 of the ordinance 8).

Many private members' amendment bills seeking legislations and motions for changing rules of procedure and conduct of business were admitted by the house. A number of those bills would be sent to the house committees and some were mutually deferred.

The government decided that the bill moved by People's Party Parliamentarians' Sherry Rahman for elimination of gender discrimination (Empowerment and Protection of Women Bill 2004) would be referred to the house committee for its 'further consideration'. The bill was being deferred since March 24.

Another bill sought to be moved by Mr Tauseef to further amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1908, was not pressed when the parliamentary affairs minister informed the house that the government was already in the process of formulating a law to amend the PPC.

The government agreed to refer another bill to the house committee on law and justice, sought to be moved by Ms Rehman. The atmosphere in the house turned congenial when the newly inducted parliamentary affairs minister agreed to most of the private members' bills.

The government defended a law on access to information claiming that it had already been promulgated and its rules laid down. Ms Rehman contested, saying that while an ordinance on the subject had been promulgated the rules for its implementation had not been laid down yet.

Another bill was introduced by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's Liaquat Baloch and tabled by PML-N's Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed seeking to further amend the Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002. The government agreed to send the bill to the house standing committee for further consideration and finalization.

MMA's Dr Fareed Ahmed Paracha tabled a motion, asking the house to consider the motion submitted by him on April 16, 2004. The motion proposed a change in article 144 of the rules of procedure and conduct of the National Assembly for dealing with the resolutions passed by two or more provincial assemblies and sent to the lower house for consideration.

The government would present a report about the possibility of implementation of such resolutions. A bill moved by Dr Paracha and Hanif Abbasi of the MMA seeking to annul the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, (ordinance No 5) was not pressed when the movers were told that an amendment bill had already been prepared which would soon be presented in the house.

Earlier, the house debated the issue of shortage of irrigation water for the sowing of wheat crop. Through call attention notices, the government was asked to address the concerns of people about acute shortage of irrigation water and closing down of the Abbasi Link canal.