ISLAMABAD, May 20: The ideological differences between two major ARD component parties resurfaced once again when the PML-N decided to oppose the stance taken by the PPP on various important issues including Hudood laws, Wana operation and the textbooks controversy.
The Pakistan Muslim League-N CWC, which met here on Wednesday, passed a resolution warning the government against making any changes in the Hudood and Blasphemy laws.
It may be mentioned that People's Party Parliamentarians has already tabled a bill seeking repeal of the Hudood laws. Through the resolution, the PML-N expressed its deep concern over the remarks of Gen Pervez Musharraf about Hudood and Blasphemy laws and warned that "any interference in these laws in contravention of Quran and Sunnah" would not be "tolerated."
The resolution says, "the PML-N believes that the propaganda of considering these laws as negation of basic human rights is totally baseless. The Western country's demand for repeal of these laws is actually part of the worldwide crusade against Islam."
"The meeting further demands that recommendations of only the Council of Islamic Ideology and the Federal Shariat Court be considered in relation to these laws. Setting up another commission by Gen Musharraf in the presence of these constitutional bodies reflects his ulterior motives," it says.
On the other hand, the PPP has silently welcomed Gen Musharraf's remarks. Talking to Dawn, a PPP MNA said it was good to hear such things from the mouth of Gen Musharraf.
However, the MNA said, it seemed that Gen Musharraf was not sincere and had issued the statement only to please the Western powers. The PPP MNA was of the view, if the general was sincere then he could repeal the laws by simply issuing an ordinance.
Meanwhile, PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar has also submitted a resolution in the Senate, which states: "This House expresses the opinion that whereas Islam prescribes Hadd punishments for certain offences, the punishments under the Offence of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance 1979 are unIslamic."
The three-month old resolution has been admitted by the Senate secretariat and came up in the draws as well but has not come up on the floor of the House owing to one reason or the other.
Talking to Dawn, Senator Babar said his resolution stipulated that in the PPP's view the issue was not whether Islam and Quran prescribed punishment under the Hadd for certain offences.
The issue is whether the punishment for Zina under the Hudood Ordinance, 1979, is Islamic or not, he added. The senator claimed that some MMA legislators had also expressed their willingness to take part in the debate on the resolution.
Similarly, the PML-N also opposed changes being made by the government in the curriculum and even demanded resignation of education minister. On the other hand, the PPP members had showed their support by thumping desks in the National Assembly when the minister was giving reply to the objections raised by the MMA members regarding changes in the syllabus during the last session.
Similarly, the PML-N and the PPP members have differences on the ongoing Wana operation with former opposing and later supporting it.