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Lawyer challenged Women Protection Bill in Sharia Court

In his petition challenging different provisions of the law especially section (7- d and e), Khaki said the section of the law was against Islamic provisions.

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But since the law’s passage in the Punjab assembly, many conservative clerics and religious leaders have denounced it as being in conflict with the Muslim holy book, the Koran, and the constitution.

“The whole law is wrong”, Muhammad Khan Sherani, who heads the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) – a constitutional body that advises the government on the compatibility of laws with Islam – reportedly said during a press conference Thursday, citing verses from the Quran to prove his point.

An anti-domestic violence bill in Pakistan has been declared un-Islamic by the country’s leading government advisory body on faith issues, the Independent reports.

The Women’s Protection Act – passed by lawmakers in Pakistan last week – gives women legal protection from abuse.

On Feb 24, the Punjab Assembly had passed the law that envisaged rehabilitation and justice for women who fall victim to domestic abuse, emotional or psychological violence, verbal abuse, stalking and cybercrime.

“This law makes a man insecure”, he told journalists. And in an earlier case, it ruled that DNA can not be used as primary evidence in cases of rape – which has infuriated human rights activists.

The meeting also observed that various clauses of the draft of Domestic Violence Bill referred to the council were also against the spirit of the Constitution and Shariat.

It also says mandating the use of Global Positioning System bracelets to track offenders was “against the dignity of the man and hence against Islam and the constitution”.

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For instance, the Islamabad-based women’s rights group Aurat Foundation estimates that over 5,800 cases of violence against women were registered in Punjab alone in 2013.

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