ISLAMABAD, May 14: Former prime minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party Benazir Bhutto has called upon the military regime to immediately commute the death sentence given to Zafran Bibi.

In a statement on Monday, she asked the military regime to stop the persecution of women. She said the PPP was shocked to learn from press reports that Zafran Bibi was first assaulted by a criminal and then assaulted by the state through wrongful persecution.

Zafran, a poor woman of a village in Kohat, has now been sentenced to death by stoning.

Ms Bhutto said that during the PPP government, the police force and the judiciary were aware of the distinction between rape and adultery. “Criminals, not victims, were persecuted during the democratic government of PPP”.

“Convicted mass murderers and corrupt elements were freed by the military regime and it is shocking that a helpless rape victim is being persecuted”.

The former premier said she was concerned that Gen Musharraf and his team were in the grip of hardliners, as evidenced by the treatment meted out to Zafran Bibi.

“The talk of fighting extremism and respecting human rights is a propaganda ploy to fool public opinion and gain time to consolidate grip on power.”

The law, which fails to distinguish between rape and adultery, was passed by an earlier military dictatorship.