PAKISTAN: MINORITY GROUPS CONCERNED OVER ISLAMIC LAWS PLAN

(1 Sep 1998) English/Nat

Minority and women's groups in Pakistan are expressing concern about the government's plan to install Islamic or Sharia law across the country.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who announced the proposed constitutional amendment on Friday, insists it will not affect Pakistan's women or minority Christians and Hindus.

The government has released few details about the proposed amendment, except to say that it will greatly increase Sharif's power.

Many fear it means that the mentality of Afghanistan's hard-line Taliban leadership has started to spread.

Pakistan's opposition parties, minorities and women's groups are vowing to block a constitutional amendment that would impose Islamic law.

They fear the move will turn their country into a strict Islamic state similar to neighbouring Afghanistan.

They claim Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's proposed new Islamic order will undermine the constitution, wreck state institutions and threaten the country's unity.

The proposed amendment, introduced on Friday, would replace British common laws with laws based on the Koran.

Sharif's amendment would require people to pray five times a day and donate part of their income to religious authorities.

The vast majority of Pakistan's 140 (m) million people are Muslims, but more than one per cent of the country follows the Christian faith.

Christians in Pakistan have long complained of persecution, saying they are not given fair access to jobs and face unfair treatment from the country's courts.

Numerous Christian communities have been attacked by extremist Muslim groups in the past, and many Christians now fear the proposed Sharia law will only make things harder.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We haven't a chance to get jobs. We haven't a chance to get some good work in the high level, at the high level. Already we have these kind of problems. So in future we (will) have also a lot of problems -- we'll face also a lot of problems. This is our fear."
SUPER CAPTION: Christian worshipper

Women in Pakistan already face similar problems.

Women's rights activists say the court system is biased against women in cases of rape, divorce and inheritance, while a far smaller share of women get access to basic education.

Many women's groups say the proposed laws are linked more closely to patriarchal traditions of the Indian subcontinent than true Islamic precepts.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"If Islam -- true Islamic society -- comes in, it would be very nice because everyone would feel secure. But the question is what kind of Islamisation are they trying to bring? And whose Islamisation? Like I said in the beginning, what happens in our country is Islam begins with women and ends with women. What happens is all the restrictions and all the things are put on women. What about men?"
SUPER CAPTION: Mamoona Massood Khan, Head of Pakistani women's group in Peshawar

The government has insisted the proposed laws are aimed at wiping out crime and corruption and will reflect Pakistan's tradition as a moderate Muslim nation.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The rights of the minorities and the rights of women will be protected, promoted and preserved. Pakistan Muslim League, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistani people on the whole, they are modern and moderate Muslims. This is certainly not Taliban Islam. Pakistan is different."
SUPER CAPTION: Mushahid Hussain, Pakistani Information Minister




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