KARACHI, Oct 19: Speakers at a meeting on Thursday terming the Hudood ordinance discriminatory towards vulnerable sections of society, particularly women and minorities, and demanded their immediate repeal.

They were speaking at the consultative meeting on Amendments in Hudood Ordinances --- implications and impacts, organized by the Aurat Foundation. Representatives of Pakistan People’s Party and Mutahida Quami Movement and a large number of civil society organizations participated.

PPP MNA Fauzia Wahab said though the PPP had come to power twice, it did not have numerical strength to repeal these laws. She said that the PPP has agreed to the amendments as these would also provide some relief to the women.

Faisal Sabzwari of the MQM said his party wanted the repeal of the Hudood Ordinances, but it, having only a few members in the parliament, could not do that on its own so it had agreed to the amendments suggested by the select committee.

But new amendments are being incorporated after input from the Ulema Committee which the MQM would not support. The MQM would support the amendments suggested by the select committee only, he said.

A lawyer Danish Zuberi pointing out the flaws said under Gen Zia’s laws there was no distinction between a rape and adultery.

Aurat Foundation chief Anis Haroon said her organization’s stand had always been for the repeal of the Hudood Ordinances as a large number of women had suffered owing to it.

Uzma Noorani, Nuzhat Kidwai, Nuzhat Shirin and others also spoke.