Vowing not to bow to the dictates of the main Islamist alliance, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said the successful amendments to the controversial Islamic law on rape would help defeat the extremists and fundamentalists on all fronts.
In his address to the nation late Wednesday night after the passage of the Women's Protection Bill in the National Assembly, Musharraf said the Bill was a victory for the moderate and progressive forces and the momentum built by the move would hopefully defeat the extremists.
"The MMA (Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal) and others cannot dictate us. You should tell the extremists that they can not impose their will on the people. Progressive forces must have an upper hand in the society. This will ensure the country's survival," he said thanking Pakistan People's Party and another opposition party Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party for supporting the amendments.
The bill was aimed at easing the existing legislation on rape, which was part of the Hudood Ordinances. The Hudood law viewed all sex outside marriage as crime and heavily tilted against rape victims who herself could face punishment if she fails to produce four male witnesses to the crime.
This was perhaps for first time in the four years of the National Assembly that the moderate opposition parties voted for the Bill brought by the pro-Musharraf government. Musharraf's praise for the PPP came amid reports of a rapprochement between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto who lived in exile fearing arrest if she returned home in connection with the cases of corruption pending in courts.
Musharraf wants the PPP to reinforce support to him by joining the next government to be formed after 2007 polls in order to checkmate the MMA, which is expanding its support base with a pro-extremist Islamic agenda. Bhutto apparently has demanded scrapping of all cases against her, which she alleges were politically motivated and smooth passage of her return to campaign for her party. Musharraf has so far not accepted the conditions.
PPP's vote for the Bill reflect divisions between Bhutto and her ally and exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as his party Pakistan Muslim League-Q opposed the Bill along with the MMA and abstained during the voting.
Criticising the MMA for alleging that the Bill went against injunctions of Quran and Sunnah, Musharraf said "This was a false allegation".
The government has not touched four other matters in the Hudood laws brought in by previous military ruler Zia ul Haq and only made "easy" the rape law and adultery. He said the law on false accusation, prohibition, theft and lashes will remain part of the Hudood laws.
"I assure the entire nation that no Pakistani can ever think of enacting law that is repugnant to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. This law is fully in conjunction with the Holy Quran and the Sunnah and there is no violation," he said adding the law on rape has been corrected and made just. Noting that women had to face problems under the previous law, he said "It was shameful to subject women to injustice and discrimination".