Assembly passes pro-women bill

Islamabad: Pakistan's National Assembly has passed a bill aimed at elminating crimes against women and ending practices like forced marriages to settle disputes.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday congratulated all parliamentarians, particularly women, for the unanimous passage of the Anti-Women Practices Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2008.

Among other things, the bill aims to put an end to practices like depriving women from inheriting property.

High priority

Women comprise half of Pakistan's population of about 180 million.

Gilani recalled that late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had always given high priority to legislation that protected the rights of women and it was in this spirit that all the Pakistan People's Party parliamentarians had lent their full support to the bill moved on the private Members Day by Donia Aziz.