Pakistan Islamists pass "religious police" bill

ISLAMABAD, Nov 13 (Reuters) Islamists ruling a Pakistani province passed a controversial bill today to introduce what critics say would be Taliban-style religious police.

The Supreme Court had blocked attempts by the government of North West Frontier Province last year to set up a Hisba, or accountability, department by ruling several clauses of the bill unconstitutional.

The Islamist-led provincial government said it had drafted the Hisba Bill anew in light of recommendations made by the Supreme Court before presenting it to the provincial assembly.

''This bill has been prepared according to the provisions of the constitution and the directives of the Supreme Court,'' NWFP Law Minister Malik Zafar Azam told Reuters after the provincial assembly passed the bill despite opposition from liberal groups.

Controversy over the bill reflects a drawn-out tug-of-war over the direction of society in the predominantly Muslim country between religious conservatives and liberals.

Liberal and secular critics say the proposed accountability body is modelled on the Taliban's Department of Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue in Afghanistan, which ran the religious police before the group's 2001 ouster.

The religious police roamed Afghan streets, forcing people to pray, ensuring women did not leave home without a head-to-toe burqa and confronting men who did not have long beards.

Dismissing criticism about the ''Talibanisation'' of the western province bordering Afghanistan, Azam said the proposed Accountability Department was aimed at eradicating social evils such as gambling and obscenity through persuasion.

''Virtues will be promoted and vices will be discouraged through persuasion and preaching,'' he said.

''UNFORTUNATE STUNT'' Federal Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani said the passage of the bill was unfortunate.

''There is no need to set up a new department when there are several others which are already working. It is nothing more than a political stunt which is unfortunate,'' he said.

An alliance of conservative religious parties won power in the province in 2002 elections. Elections will be held again next year.

The passage of the Hisba Bill came as the central government led by President Pervez Musharraf is trying to reform Islamic laws on rape and adultery that require a rape victim to produce four male witnesses or risk prosecution for adultery.

Islamists are fiercely opposed to the reforms and the government delayed presenting them to parliament in September.

Officials say a reform bill is expected to be submitted to the parliament this week.

Musharraf, who promotes a philosophy of ''enlightened moderation'', has voiced support for the law reform and has repeatedly urged the country to shun ''Talibanisation''.

But analysts say Musharraf has at times had to mollify the conservatives for political reasons.

REUTERS PDM KP1924