Hudood Ord has nothing to do with Islam’

KARACHI,March 09,2005: The Hudood Ordinance has nothing to do with Islam and must be immediately repealed, according to Justice (retired) Majida Rizvi.She has made the observation in a 35-minute film prepared by Aurat Foundation and Women’s Action Forum. The film was screened here at a meeting on Tuesday to commemorate International Women’s Day. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), a coalition of several non-governmental organizations. Justice (retired) Rizvi lamented that a large number of women were languishing in jails as a result of the Hudood Ordinance that had many lacunas.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice (retired) Shaiq Usmani said that women activists should realise that March 8 was being observed across the world without ay differentiation between the East and the West. He said women activists should highlight the injustices against the second sex unitedly and expose the lacunas in the Hudood Ordinance and other discriminatory laws. A presentation by Aurat Foundation and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said despite a verdict by the court that says that the “jirga system” is unlawful, “jirgas” as a parallel system continues to operate in Pakistan to the extent that a “jirga” regarding Shaista Almani was held at the Chief Minister’s House in Sindh. staff report.

Source: Daily Times

Date:3/9/2005