ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: The government has agreed with its nine-member ulema team that the Women’s Rights bill will be redrafted and re-tabled in the National Assembly. This was announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani at a news conference he addressed after meeting Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Monday.

He said the ulema had suggested three ‘minor’ changes in the draft amendment bill which would be incorporated into the bill by law ministry officials.

He said nothing in violation of Holy Quran and Sunnah would remain in the bill after insertion of the three points.

He said President General Pervez Musharraf was personally involved in the process of negotiations with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

He denied that the bill was linked to anyone’s foreign visit.

Mr Durrani said it was neither defeat nor triumph for any side but a victory of democracy and added that it was part of the government’s strategy to take all parties on board in the passage of the bill to provide ‘real relief’ to women.

When asked how the government would convince the PPP and the MQM after the amendments proposed by the MMA had been accepted, he said: “All are on board and we will make it sure that everyone is satisfied.”

The ulema chosen for the government’s team, he said, were non-partisan and enjoyed respect all over the country.

The ulema, he pointed out, had also presented a set of suggestions to improve laws to provide more protection to women and weaker sections of society.

The suggestions that had been agreed upon sought legislation for protection of women against deprivation from inheritance under Islamic injunctions, doing away with the practice of arranging marriage of girls without seeking their consent, checking the practice of pronouncing three divorces at the same time, disbanding the custom of giving girls in marriage with Holy Quran and stopping making women a source of business.