The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Saturday rejected the draft of the ‘Women Protection Bill’ proposed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), saying it was not the mandate of the council to make or to propose any laws unless a legislature formally asks for advice.
“It is the sole prerogative of the parliament to consider, propose, amend or repeal laws of the country. The CII is mandated only to propose nonbinding recommendations,” said PPP’s Human Rights Coordinator Dr Nafisa Shah in a press statement.
“Under Article 229 of the Constitution, legislative bodies can seek advice from the CII only if two-third members of the legislatures vote for it. In the other case, only a Governor of a province or the President can seek advice, added the PPP HR coordinator.
Neither of this has happened, therefore, Council of Islamic Ideology’s proposal for a law has no legal standing,” she argued, adding that any provincial government’s law department writing to the CII for advice is not in order unless it follows the constitutional procedure.
Dr Shah also dismissed the bill proposed by the CII saying: “Instead of its preoccupation with wife beatings and child marriages, it would be more constructive for the society if the council focused on recommendations that promote the true spirit of Islam as a modern progressive religion calling for equal rights for all.”
She called upon the CII for joining the world in condemning all forms of violence against women, including wife battering ‘light’ or ‘hard’.