Pak hardline party against domestic violence bill over it being copy of Indian law

Islamabad, Apr 7(ANI): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has slammed Pakistan's domestic violence bill as a copy of Indian law and vowed to fight "tooth and nail" against it.

"We cannot adopt a bill which is a ditto copy of a bill on women passed by India's parliament," The Express Tribune quoted JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman, as saying.

Fazl claimed the bill promotes Western culture and values and undermines Islamic ones.

"NGOs continue to promote the culture which keeps women away from Islam and that is not acceptable to us," he added.

He said the bill reflected an effort to destroy the dignity of women in Islam, and urged followers to stand united against those who wanted to impose Western culture in Pakistan.

"We know women's rights better than the PPP... Western culture cannot be promoted under the pretext of protection in Islamic states," he added.

His statement came after Pakistan's lawmakers across party lines failed to evolve any consensus to amend a controversial clause of the bill passed by the National Assembly in 2009.

PPP member Yasmeen Rehman had earlier tabled the bill stressing the institutionalisation of measures required to protect women and children from domestic violence. (ANI)