PESHAWAR, June 1: NWFP Senior Minister Sirajul Haq has rejected policy recommendations of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on women’s inheritance rights and constituted a provincial committee to submit its suggestions to the commission.

Presiding over a consultative meeting of the NCSW on Thursday, the minister said the recommendations needed a thorough review.

The provincial committee with a majority of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal members of provincial and national assemblies and academicians was constituted when recommendations regarding amendment to the relevant laws presented by NCSW Policy Research Officer Viqarun Nisa Hashmi sparked a heated debate on the issue of women’s right to inheritance.

Mr Haq nominated the two NCSW women members from the NWFP, Dr Naheed Ali and Dr Begum Jan; MMA parliamentarians Shagufta Naz, Razia Aziz and Zubaida Khatoon; psychiatrist Dr Syed Farooq, paediatrician Dr Afshan, Shahida Akhtar and Social Welfare Director Fakhrul Islam as members and Malak Ahmed Jan as chairman of the committee.

Other members present in the meeting protested against ‘discriminatory’ nomination of the provincial committee.

“The recommendations sent by the provincial committee to the NCSW will not have an opinion different from that of the NWFP government. It will only be recommendations of one religio-political group”, said Sherin, a civil society member.

Ahmed Jan said that the committee would review the research and policy recommendations of the NCSW and keep in touch with the senior minister before submitting its recommendations.

Ms Hashmi had recommended amendments to the Succession Act, 1925, and Land Revenue Act, 1967.

“The law must provide for an obligatory bequest in favour of a daughter (in case she is fulfilling the responsibilities of the family in contrast to her brother)... the law should allow the propositus to make voluntary bequest to non-Muslim relative(s) (regardless of religious background or orientation) after all mandatory bequests have been made and fulfilled,” was one of the main recommendations, which was opposed.