ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday condemned what he described as “desecration committed by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) MNAs” on Monday when they tore to pieces the copies of the Protection of Women Bill and then trampled it under their feet.

At the same time, he claimed that the PPP Parliamentarians had offered its full support on the said bill and had accordingly given two names for the house special committee besides having promised to join hands in its passage.

Speaking at a news conference in his parliament house chambers along with the Minister for Information, Mohammad Ali Durrani, the prime minister said the whole nation was upset over MMA’s act as the copies of the bill contained the word the Holy Quran 12 times, Sunnah nine and Islamic Republic of Pakistan seven times.

The nation, he stated, rightly demanded of the MMA leadership to undertake such measures to remove this blot of desecrating legislative papers under their feet.

He said it should be made clear that all of us are Muslims and no particular person or party should take upon itself the championing of Islam and Islamic values.

Mr Aziz claimed that the government had drafted the bill that was presented in the lower house after lengthy consultations and seeking the consent of eminent religious scholars of the country.

He said Pakistan was founded in the name of Islam and its constitution prohibited enacting any legislation which violated the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

He said: “Not only that the judiciary can stop any such legislation but the 160 million people of Pakistan will safeguard their religion.”

He said that the Protection of Women Bill was strictly in accordance with Quranic teachings and whatever the MMA leadership had done to reject it was the result of sheer frustration for which it was answerable to the nation.

So far as the “Hudoodullah” were concerned, he said, no one can dare even thinking of changing a single verse from the Holy Quran and the revelations of the Almighty as ordained by him.

Responding to a query, he dismissed any link between the proposed draft bill and opposition’s no-trust resolution and challenged the opposition that the government was ready to face whenever the opposition would put it in black and white in the parliament.