ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: Former president Gen Ziaul Haq's Islamization programme was pursued in a complicated ideological framework and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) is following the same policy of 'manipulating' religion for political purposes , Prof Dr Anita Weiss of Oregon University of the US said here on Monday.

Dr Weiss was presenting her research study at a seminar on 'Straddling CEDAW and the MMA: Conflicting visions of women's rights in Pakistan', organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

She said the MMA people secured votes by promising that they would implement Islamic system. She said several federal laws on women were there but the MMA government in the NWFP was developing their own set of laws.

"A number of new and proposed laws and policies of the MMA directly contest those of the federal government's," she said. She said by introducing Hisba Act, the MMA was more interested in gaining political credit than doing real service for Islam.

She also objected to the approach of the MMA in defending Hisba Act by saying that the creation of an Islamic context would automatically resolve the prevailing social and legal problems.

In fact, she said, the MMA made an unrealistic effort to satisfy their vote bank by stating that they had done much for the implementation of Islamic laws. She also highlighted 'gender segregation policy' of the MMA under which girls could only study in separate schools and only female physicians could treat female patients.

The notion is that women's rights will be secured by such things, she said. Similarly, Dr Weiss said, the MMA was less innovative in its stance on women's legal rights within the family.

The visiting US scholar said as per CEDAW Convention, to whom Pakistan became signatory in 1996, the government of Pakistan pledged to review its existing laws, social institutions and cultural stereotypes and create enabling conditions to eliminate discrimination against women.

She said Pakistan had done a 'fairly good job' in reforming laws so as to provide equal rights to women. She said laws were there but they needed implementation. About Hudood Laws, she said no legal distinction was made between consensual adultery and rape. She called for open debates in the country on such issues.