KARACHI, Nov 23: The Jamaat-i-Islami, Karachi (Women Chapter) staged a protest rally against the Women Protection Bill outside the Karachi Press Club here on Thursday.

The participants were holding banners and placards against the bill and chanted slogans for the enforcement of Islamic laws.

Speakers at the rally termed the bill a move of General Musharraf to impose western culture in Pakistan and turn the country into a secular state.

Speaking on the occasion, MMA MNA Mohammad Hussain Mehanti pointed out that not a single religious scholar had declared the bill in question in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah and as such rejected it. Terming it an obscenity bill, he said that it would only trample women’s rights

The MMA leader said that women in the country were protesting against the bill but the rulers were trying to enforce the bill at the behest of the US.

Mr Mehanti said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had celebrated the bill only to remain in the government and appease General Musharraf. He said that the MMA was determined to launch a movement against the US agents.

Nasrullah Shaji said that the US and its allies after bloodletting of Muslims in Kashmir, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan and taking over control of their resources.

MPA Yunus Barai said that women had always played their role to usher Islamic revolution in the country and even today they were protesting against the bill.