ISLAMABAD: Congratulating the whole nation over approval of Women Protection Bill 2006 by the Parliament, President General Pervez Musharraf Wednesday vowed to bring an end to all injustice against women and weaker segments of the society.
"Moderate and progressive elements of the society who are in a majority should rise up and show their real strength. I assure you moderate and progressive forces will prevail. The time is very critical you should reject fundamentalist and extremist forces. I hope that you will elect progressive people who want justice and moderation," he observed this while addressing the nation after passage of Women Protection Bill in the parliament on Wednesday.
All the ill practices like Watta Satta, Wani marriage with Quran, divorce thrice will be abolished and more laws will be approved through the parliament, he held.
The President with the onset made it clear that the incumbent government had taken several steps for women empowerment since coming into power four years ago and vowed to continue it in the future.
"I congratulate the whole nation that this historical bill has been passed by the Parliament, the women and girls of the country for whose protection this bill has been passed, the parliament and prime minister and PML President, Ch Shujaat Hussain and coalition partners MQM, PPP and PML-Functional and last but not the least Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and Pakhtoon Khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) for supporting this bill and finally I will thank media for creating public awareness program through their medium regarding women protection since past few months.
I want to clear that some elements particularly Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) has been trying to create an impression that governments is trying to pass a bill that is against teachings of Quran and Sunnah. I want to make it clear that no Pakistani can pass any law that is against Quran and Sunnah and the Women Protection Bill is as per teachings of Quran and Sunnah, he categorically stressed.
Rape and adultery in Pakistan are dealt with under the Hudood Ordinance, a set of Islamic laws introduced from 1979 by Gen Zia-ul-Haq. They include sections prescribing lashing and stoning as punishments for adultery.
"I want to apprise the nation in a simple manner as what really the WPB is. It comprises of five laws, Zina, (Zina Bil Raza,( Adultery) Zina Bil Jabr (Rape), Qazf , Prohibition (Liqour) and, Robbery, Whipping . Four of the laws have not even been touched they are still part of Hudood Ordinance."
"Only Zina has been amended and according to the law and justice women have been protected."
When I studied it for the first time I was grieved and ashamed that how much, we and our society carried out injustices with our daughters, sisters. Women had been at the receiving end and it was their right to be protected from this cruelty, he added.
Regarding the rape, the president said the trouble with it was that if a woman is raped firstly she is being prosecuted she goes to the police station crying she is asked to bring four witnesses otherwise she is imprisoned and she becomes victim of double injustice. This was a dual injustice with out women. We have amended the Zina Bil Jabr (Rape) we put it in PPC and from now on if a woman is raped and if she had an evidence or she lacks it, only the rapist will be adjudged. There will be no bar for producing four witness and raped woman will not be put behind bars.
We have not kept zina bil jabar out of ambit of Hudood laws. Hadd will be enforced where two witnesses are available. Only male partner will be punished whosoever commits this offence and no female will be liable to punishment on this count, the president observed.
The Bill passed by the parliament clearly mentions that, Zina bil Jabbar will be dealt with under Hudood. The accused will be awarded death penalty if the offence of Zina bil Jabbar is proved. Minimum punishment has been prescribed up to ten years and the maximum punishment up to 25 years. The session court will be authorized to hear such cases, he mentioned.
Living up with his reputation and in an effort to create consensus amongst the general masses the president in his televised address said no body can say that we did wrong.
Now if a woman goes to police station the women will not be imprisoned and if there is no witness than too the rapist will be arrested. Four witnesses are not necessary, he held.
Regarding Zina Bil Raza (Adultery) if a woman is brought to a police station now by a man and he fails to produce four witnesses and he brings a single witness then too the woman is arrested. Now in the penal code 10 we have abolished the 25 year punishment for the women. People thought it will spread obscenity. Therefore all the legal experts and PML lawmakers thought that there should be a law in PPC under article 496 B 5 year punishment will be given in such a case.
The woman will not be put behind the bars and it will not be considered a cognizable offense that is the case will go to court and than it would be decided to move against women and case would be registered after presenting two witnesses. Like Qazaf on Zina in case of false accusation five year punishment will be given. Nontransferable
We have make it watertight. There are thousands of women who are languishing in jails sent by their brothers and fathers on property disputes etc. now such high handedness could not take place due to such practices.
Congratulating the select committee worked tirelessly and honestly and formed the bill there has been lot of work behind the scene as well.
The president said there are religious extremist and liberal extremist. We never touched the other four articles of Hudood Ordinance. The liberal extremist and others were tried to be taken on board. We talked to religious extremist. We like to congratulate the Council of Islamic ideology for coming up with the best possible advice on Islam.
"We had no ill intention. We wanted to develop consensus in my view the government has uphold justice and truth. Our campaign against injustices towards weak. No one will be allowed to do so," he vowed.
The journey will continue. There is honor killing, vani, watta satta, inheritance, marriage with Quran, divorce thrice together bills will be moved against these practices. I will support these. | 
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