After angering the religious right because of its recent liberal posturing, the PML-N seems ready to mend ties with the clergy and make changes to its new law on violence against women in Punjab.
A party official privy to the plan says the PML-N wants to find a solution that appeases religious leaders without compromising on its stance on women’s empowerment. He said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had formed a consultative committee chaired by the provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah to address the reservations of religious parties and discuss possible amendments to the law.
“The PML-N wants to address the concerns of religious leaders because the party cannot afford a political turmoil right now,” the official told me. “Especially with the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, which has infuriated many religious groups, the party cannot afford a confrontation with religious parties at this point in time.”
On March 13, Shahbaz Sharif had a long telephone conversation with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of his own faction of JUI. A source said the discussion turned into a debate, as the chief minister continued to persuade the key PML-N ally to help the government resolve the matter.
The Maulana – whose party is part of the ruling coalition led by the PML-N in the center – is spearheading the movement against the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act of 2016, known commonly as the Women Protection Act. The legislation was passed by the Punjab Assembly last month. The JUI-F, and many other religious parties, claim that law contradicts the injunctions of Islam.
According to reports, Shahbaz Sharif had been banking on Sajid Mir, the leader of Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadees, to bridge the gap between the two sides, ahead of a conference of religious groups to discuss the legislation in the Jamaat-e-Islami headquarters of Mansoora.
On Monday, Fazlur Rehman also met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his house in Jati Umra, where the Punjab chief minister was also present. The meeting was believed to be an ice-breaker ahead of the Mansoora conference.
“Nawaz Sharif sahib assured me that any un-Islamic clauses will be amended and asked me to personally look into the issue,” the Maulana told reporters after the meeting. “He also asked me to hold discussions with other scholars at the national level to address their reservations.”
Punjab Law Minister responded with humor. “The government will amend the law and exempt Maulana Fazlur Rehman from wearing a bracelet,” Rana Sanaullah said, referring to a clause that allows putting trackers on men to ensure they do not violate restraining orders. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman is an obedient husband at home, but takes a tough position in public to maintain his image.”
The assurances did not work. After the Mansoora meeting on March 15, Jamaat-e-Islami emir Sirajul Haq warned the government to retract the law by March 27.
“The bill contradicts the Pakistani constitution and the Sharia,” he said while addressing a press conference after the meeting. Sirajul Haq said they would propose a new bill after advice from the Council of Islamic Ideology. The council is led by Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, who has publicly condemned the Women Protection Act.
Fazlur Rehman also spoke on the occasion, stating categorically that the law was un-Islamic.
Allama Tahir Ashrafi, the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, says the Maulana has taken a U-turn. “On Monday, he expressed satisfaction with the talks and with the assurances from the government. On Tuesday, he said something completely different.” Tahir Ashrafi is heading a committee of clerics formed by the government to look into the bill. He believes the law does not contradict the teachings of Islam barring one or two clauses on which more deliberation was needed.
“The provision of ‘removing a husband from the home’ might need to be revisited,” he says, “but the fears that fathers won’t be able to question their daughters, or brothers won’t be able to question their sisters, are unfounded and exaggerated.”
One source in the PML-N thinks the move by the clergy is political rather than religious. He says the Maulana is trying to revive the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of Islamist parties that secured 11% of the popular vote and 58 National Assembly seats in the 2002 general elections, when it opposed General Pervez Musharraf and his ‘pro-US’ policies. “There is concern that there will be opportunistic moves to gather support for the renewal of the religious alliance, using the recent events to label the government anti-Islam,” he says.
Tahir Ashrafi has similar worries. “Some people are trying to do politics over the law,” he says. “Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dr Waseem Akhtar was a member of the committee that discussed the legislation for nine months before the bill was passed. Why didn’t they express their reservations back then?” Dr Waseem Akhtar is the emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab and was present in the assembly when the law was passed unanimously, he says. “Islam does not allow violence against women. The government and religious leaders should not exploit the law for politics.”
A party official privy to the plan says the PML-N wants to find a solution that appeases religious leaders without compromising on its stance on women’s empowerment. He said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had formed a consultative committee chaired by the provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah to address the reservations of religious parties and discuss possible amendments to the law.
“The PML-N wants to address the concerns of religious leaders because the party cannot afford a political turmoil right now,” the official told me. “Especially with the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, which has infuriated many religious groups, the party cannot afford a confrontation with religious parties at this point in time.”
On March 13, Shahbaz Sharif had a long telephone conversation with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of his own faction of JUI. A source said the discussion turned into a debate, as the chief minister continued to persuade the key PML-N ally to help the government resolve the matter.
The Maulana – whose party is part of the ruling coalition led by the PML-N in the center – is spearheading the movement against the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act of 2016, known commonly as the Women Protection Act. The legislation was passed by the Punjab Assembly last month. The JUI-F, and many other religious parties, claim that law contradicts the injunctions of Islam.
"The Maulana is an obedient husband at home"
According to reports, Shahbaz Sharif had been banking on Sajid Mir, the leader of Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadees, to bridge the gap between the two sides, ahead of a conference of religious groups to discuss the legislation in the Jamaat-e-Islami headquarters of Mansoora.
On Monday, Fazlur Rehman also met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his house in Jati Umra, where the Punjab chief minister was also present. The meeting was believed to be an ice-breaker ahead of the Mansoora conference.
“Nawaz Sharif sahib assured me that any un-Islamic clauses will be amended and asked me to personally look into the issue,” the Maulana told reporters after the meeting. “He also asked me to hold discussions with other scholars at the national level to address their reservations.”
Punjab Law Minister responded with humor. “The government will amend the law and exempt Maulana Fazlur Rehman from wearing a bracelet,” Rana Sanaullah said, referring to a clause that allows putting trackers on men to ensure they do not violate restraining orders. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman is an obedient husband at home, but takes a tough position in public to maintain his image.”
The assurances did not work. After the Mansoora meeting on March 15, Jamaat-e-Islami emir Sirajul Haq warned the government to retract the law by March 27.
“The bill contradicts the Pakistani constitution and the Sharia,” he said while addressing a press conference after the meeting. Sirajul Haq said they would propose a new bill after advice from the Council of Islamic Ideology. The council is led by Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, who has publicly condemned the Women Protection Act.
Fazlur Rehman also spoke on the occasion, stating categorically that the law was un-Islamic.
Allama Tahir Ashrafi, the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, says the Maulana has taken a U-turn. “On Monday, he expressed satisfaction with the talks and with the assurances from the government. On Tuesday, he said something completely different.” Tahir Ashrafi is heading a committee of clerics formed by the government to look into the bill. He believes the law does not contradict the teachings of Islam barring one or two clauses on which more deliberation was needed.
“The provision of ‘removing a husband from the home’ might need to be revisited,” he says, “but the fears that fathers won’t be able to question their daughters, or brothers won’t be able to question their sisters, are unfounded and exaggerated.”
One source in the PML-N thinks the move by the clergy is political rather than religious. He says the Maulana is trying to revive the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of Islamist parties that secured 11% of the popular vote and 58 National Assembly seats in the 2002 general elections, when it opposed General Pervez Musharraf and his ‘pro-US’ policies. “There is concern that there will be opportunistic moves to gather support for the renewal of the religious alliance, using the recent events to label the government anti-Islam,” he says.
Tahir Ashrafi has similar worries. “Some people are trying to do politics over the law,” he says. “Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dr Waseem Akhtar was a member of the committee that discussed the legislation for nine months before the bill was passed. Why didn’t they express their reservations back then?” Dr Waseem Akhtar is the emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab and was present in the assembly when the law was passed unanimously, he says. “Islam does not allow violence against women. The government and religious leaders should not exploit the law for politics.”