ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Federal Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani has said that the government will go ahead with more bills in parliament to protect women’s rights.

He said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s assent to the Protection of Women’s Rights Bill would empower the deprived segment of the society and ensure protection of rights and social liberties to the womenfolk.

Speaking at a news conference here on Saturday, the information minister said that President Musharraf would explain the benefits of the women’s rights bill to the participants of the National Women Convention to be held at the convention centre here on Tuesday. He would also take the nation into confidence on bringing in more such legislations.

On government’s contacts with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal after the threats of MMA legislators resigning from parliament seats over the Protection of Women’s Rights bill issue, Mr Durrani said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had made a call to MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rahman on Friday and urged him to come to the table for discussion on all contentious issues.

He said that the government’s message to all political parties was that it was not time for agitation and any change would come through the ballot.

He warned that the religious parties’ alliance would not be allowed to disrupt law and order through sit-ins and protest marches.

He endorsed President Musharraf’s stance on the decision of not allowing two exiled leaders -- Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto -- to return home and take part in the electioneering process.

He said the government was in constant contact with all political party leaders in the parliament, but there was no chance of a deal as being speculated about any arrangement with the PPP.

He said similar contacts were made in a routine with Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Liaquat Baloch and other leaders and the consultation process was going on.

Answering a question on federal government’s action against enactment of ‘Hasba’ act by the NWFP government, the minister said that the federal government was working on two options; one to send a reference to court and second to make people aware through media of MMA-led provincial government utilising Rs8 billion hard cash on a law which was unacceptable to majority.