Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari has severely criticised the Ehtram-e-Ramazan (Amendment) Bill which prohibits eating and drinking in public during the month of Ramazan.
In a tweet, the daughter of former president Asif Ali Zardari said, "People are going to die from heat stroke and dehydration with this ridiculous law. Not everyone is able. This is not Islam."
On Wednesday, the Senate Standing committee on Religious Affairs unanimously approved the Ehteram-e-Ramazan (Amendment) Bill, 2017 which seeks to punish hotel owners violating the law with fines ranging from Rs500 to Rs25,000.
Additionally, the bill also imposes a fine of Rs500 and prison sentence of up to three months for people seen smoking or eating in public during the holy month.
After receiving mixed reviews from users on the social media platform, Bakhtawar elaborated her initial tweet on the bill by saying that "we are more than capable of resisting temptation and keeping our fasts."
The oldest daughter of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto insisted that the "law" was outrageous as it failed to consider that not everyone will be fasting in the month of Ramazan.
"Not everyone in Pakistan will be fasting ─ Children in school, the elderly, people with medical issues ─ Should we arrest them for drinking water?" Bakhtawar highlighted in her tweet.
Under the Ehtram-e-Ramazan Ordinance, 1981, it is illegal for Muslims to eat or drink in public during daylight hours in Ramazan, though the heatstroke crisis prompted some clerics to advise people they should stop fasting if their health is at risk.
Responding to a twitter user's retweet, Bakhtawar questioned the presence of harsh punishments in Islamic law for those who eat and drink in Ramazan.
Bakhtawar, along with her sister Aseefa, has been outspoken on twitter, often taking strong stances on profound issues. Recently, Aseefa asked the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah to apologise for his insensitive remarks against female parliamentarians.
"If parliament is a model of our society and if our parliament continues to make derogatory remarks against women, it reflects on us," she tweeted.
