World | Pakistan
Women's rights activist and Punjab minister killed over 'dress code'
A gunman shot dead a Pakistani woman provincial government minister on Tuesday because he believed women should not be in politics, officials said.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 February 21, 2007
.
Islamabad: A gunman shot dead a Pakistani woman provincial government minister on Tuesday because he believed women should not be in politics, officials said.
Zilla Huma Usman, 35, the Punjab province minister for social welfare and a supporter of President Pervez Musharraf was killed as she was about to address dozens of people at a political meeting.
The lone attacker shot her in the head and she died later in hospital.
The gunman, identified as Mohammad Sarwar, was immediately arrested.Local police officer Nazir Ahmad said Usman's driver overpowered Sarwar and police arrested him.
Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat told reporters the gunman had been implicated in six previous murder cases but had never been convicted because of a lack of evidence.
"He is basically a fanatic," Basharat said. "He is against the involvement of women in politics and government affairs."
A stonemason and former Islamic student in his 40s, Sarwar was previously held in 2002 in connection with the killing of four prostitutes, but was acquitted.
The shooting occurred at Huma's party office in the town of Gujranwala, 70 km north of the provincial capital, Lahore.
"He considers it contrary to the teachings of Allah for a woman to become a minister or a ruler. That's why he committed this action," the police said in a statement.
Huma, 37, was married with two sons. Her husband is a doctor. She also ran a small fashion design business in Gujranwala.
Mini-marathon
In April 2005, she encouraged the holding of a mini-marathon involving female competitors in Gujranwala, some 250 km southeast of Islamabad, in April 2005.
Musharraf, a key ally in the US-led war on terrorism, promotes a vision of "enlightened moderation" for the predominantly Muslim country of 160 million people and has vowed to empower women.
Women make up just over 20 per cent of the lower house of parliament, according to the country's main human rights group, and there are three women ministers in the cabinet of the federal government.
But women still face widespread violence and discrimination in a male-dominated society, particularly in the countryside, where most Pakistanis live.
Share this article
News Editor's choice
-
Al Qaida returns to Manhattan
Trial in US federal court would be just the theatre Khalid Shaikh Mohammad wants
-
Obama's Tibet test
The US president's snub of the Dalai Lama could embolden China
-
What to expect at the Dubai Airshow
We preview what types of aircraft to expect at the Dubai Airshow
