ISLAMABAD, April 5: The civil society and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of Islamabad-Rawalpindi on Friday demanded of the government to immediately repeal Hudood Ordinance and laws in conflict with the spirit of the Constitution and international commitments such as CEDAW, UN Charter of Human Rights and the Beijing plan of Action.

The representatives of NGOs held a meeting at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) office to discuss the possibilities of convincing the state and public of the negative side of the Hudood Ordinance and focus on the abolition of this law in totality.

Nasreen Azhar (HRCP), Farzana Bari (Pattan), Ayesha Inayat and Aasim Akhtar (SDPI), Aqsa Khan (ActionAid), Naeem Mirza (Aurat Foundation), Saima Qadir (Rozan), Shabnam Shoaib (Islamabad Women‘s Welfare Association), Khalida Salimi (SUCH) and Arifa Mazhar (Sungi Development Foundation) in a joint statement said unfortunately successive regimes had paid no attention to rectify the grave injustice done to women.

They said though the law was undemocratically passed without debate or discussion and was never endorsed by the Parliament, it continued to remain in force and caused untold suffering to countless women.

Since 1979 when Gen Ziaul Haq promulgated the Ordinance, it has been responsible for causing suffering to thousands of poor women who have been thrown into jails and implicated in false cases on baseless accusations, the statement said.

“Over the years it has been observed that the Hudood Ordinance has been misused by families as a weapon to suppress women.

Women organizations have been highlighting the negative impact of their law on women‘s lives and status and have been demanding their repeal”, the statement added.