PESHAWAR, Nov 19: The All Pakistan Minorities’ Alliance has urged the NWFP governor not to give assent to the Hasba bill. The alliance’s chairman Shehbaz Bhatti led a protest demonstration against the bill at the press club here on Sunday.

He said all legal and constitutional means would be used for stopping the bill from becoming an act and the minorities would raise their voice against it at all levels.

He said the bill was against women and the minorities and it would be used for curtailing the rights of the vulnerable groups.

"The Hasba law will impose a martial law of the clerics and affect the personal and family laws for the minorities," he said.

The law, he said, was in conflict with the constitution and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s provincial government would recruit thousands of clerics in various departments to be established under it.

He said an ombudsman was functioning on the federal level and there was no need of establishing the offices of provincial, district and tehsil mohtasibs.

The minorities were feeling insecure and due they wanted the governor not to sign the bill, Mr Bhatti said. The demonstration was also addressed by Punjab Assembly member Pervez Rafique.