Pakistan: Bill moved to change harsh Islamic rape laws

Pakistan’s ruling party today moved a much-vaunted Bill in the parliament to change the country’s harsh Islamic rape laws.

Amid protests from dozens of radical Muslim politicians who opposed the changes, Chaudhry Ameer Hussain, speaker of the National Assembly, referred the Protection of Women’s Rights Bill to a parliamentary committee for review.

The text of the Bill was not immediately available, but the government has said previously that it intends to change the controversial Islamic rape law which requires the testimony of four witnesses to prosecute a rape case.

Many women have demanded amendments to the so-called Hudood Ordinance since it was introduced in 1979 by a former military ruler Zia ul-Haq.

The ordinance also leaves rape victims vulnerable to adultery charges for which the punishment is death.