PESHAWAR, July 30: Speakers at a seminar on Saturday criticized the Hasba bill and called it an outcome of a discreet ‘military-mullah alliance’ and an attempt to divert people’s attention from more serious issues like the military operation in Waziristan.

“The Hasba bill is not a religious matter but a political and legal issue and there are some vested interest of the federal government behind it,” said Asma Jehangir, chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Six non-governmental organizations had arranged the seminar at the Peshawar Press Club entitled ‘Resistance against Hasba bill.’

Calling the Bill a hypocrite law, which has been introduced by the government of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the NWFP, Ms Jehangir said: “Mostly the complainants in the blasphemy cases were mullahs and it were the same MMA MNAs who strongly opposed the Honour Killing bill when it was tabled in the National Assembly.”

She held the ‘military-mullah alliance’ responsible for the Hudood ordinance, victimization of minorities and hostile ties with India.

She said the Hasba bill was aimed at befooling the nation and diverting its attention from South Waziristan and North Waziristan where the military had launched an operation against militants.

Afrasiab Khattak, additional general secretary of the Awami Nation Party, criticized the MMA government for presenting the Hasba bill as an issue of belief or religion. He described it as a political issue.

Dr Farooq Khan, a religious scholar, also criticized the Basba bill. “Forcing people to act upon certain laws and adopt certain ways of life is against the teachings of our religion,” he said, adding that the Hasba institution did not even exist in the times of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) or the Pious Caliphs. There was a special force called ‘market inspector’ in the Mamoonur Rashid’s era, Dr Khan pointed out.

He said the state could only use force for Zakat, punishing in certain crimes like adultery and Riba but not in other affairs. He described the Hasba bill as un-Islamic and against the Constitution.

Sher Afgan Khattak, former president of the Peshawar Bar Association, termed the Hasba bill impracticable.