Campaign Against the Hudood Ordinance

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the Women's Action Forum (WAF) held a demonstration on Tuesday demanding the government repeal all discriminatory laws, especially the Hudood Ordinance. They said the unjustice being done in the name of the Hudood Ordinance was unbearable. They said that the law had badly affected society. "The Hudood Ordinance and other discriminatory laws have not only given a bad name to our religion, but defamed Pakistan in the world. They also demanded the abolition of Qisas and Diat laws, the blasphemy law and other discriminatory laws against women and minorities. A representative told Daily Times that the JAC had started a signature campaign against the laws.

"The government should not try to hide itself behind the curtain of the Council of Islamic Ideology and should move a Hudood Ordinance repeal bill in the National Assembly immediately," she said. She also said that 18 of 22 sections of the law were complicated and vague, therefore there was no need to amend the law; it should be repealed. The JAC and the WAF also announced rallies and demonstrations 18 Punjab districts in this month to raise their demand of repealing the discriminatory laws.

For more information, please write to P.O. Box 3328, Gulberg II, Lahore 54660 Pakistan, or call (+92-42) 757-7090