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Authorities ban rallies in eastern Pakistan

Pakistani authorities have banned rallies in the eastern region in an attempt to block a protest against the amended rape law by hard-line Islamic groups, officials said on Thursday.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 00:00 November 30, 2006
  • Gulf News

Lahore: Pakistani authorities have banned rallies in the eastern region in an attempt to block a protest against the amended rape law by hard-line Islamic groups, officials said on Thursday.

The bill was opposed by fanatical Muslim lawmakers, who said it is against Islamic law.

The Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) or United Action Forum has been organising regular rallies protesting against the law, which aims to help rape victims, prior to it being amended. The MMA vowed to step up its protests after the bill was approved last week by Parliament.

The new bill is expected to be signed in Islamabad by President General Pervez Musharraf on December 4 to make the legislation part of the constitution.

President of MMA Qazi Hussain Ahmed said yesterday that he would lead Thursday's planned protest march from the eastern city of Lahore to Gujrat. However, local police authorities said they would ensure that the protest ban was implemented and adhered to.

A senior leader of the MMA said police had detained numerous supporters and barricaded the rally route.

The changes in the 1979 Hudood Ordinance state that judges can choose whether a rape case should be tried in a criminal court, meaning that rape victims would no longer have to produce four witnesses to the crime, as was stated in the old Islamic laws.

The death penalty for sex outside of marriage has also been dropped with the offense now carrying a five years prison sentence or a fine of 10,000 rupees.

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