LAHORE: President General Pervez Musharraf has categorically stated that the women’s rights act will neither be repealed nor changed. “The law has been passed; it will never be undone,” he said while speaking at the concluding session of the 1st International Conference “The Other Self: Conflict, Confusion or Compromise” at a local hotel on Saturday. First Lady Begum Sehba Musharraf, Punjab Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Khalid Maqbool, Chief Minister Chuadhry Pervaiz Elahi, Federal Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani, Federal Minister for Women Development Sumaira Malik and delegates from 12 countries were present on the occasion.

Referring to his meetings with women in Karachi and Quetta, President Musharraf said that the passion and enthusiasm of women after the passage of the bill had been encouraging. A lot of efforts were made by the government for the passage of the bill as there were extreme views regarding the Hudood Ordinance, he said. It was not just a religious issue, the government had also to look into its political and administrative connotations, he said.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/10/2006