Pakistan again tries to amend Islamic law on rape

ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (Reuters) Pakistan's parliament began the debate today on a government attempt to amend Islamic laws on rape and adultery, changes that an Islamist opposition leader said would encourage free sex.

The laws, which make a rape victim liable to prosecution for adultery if she cannot produce four male witnesses to the assault, were introduced in 1979 by a military ruler and drew widespread criticism both at home and abroad.

The government of President Pervez Musharraf, who advocates ''enlightened moderation'', abandoned an attempt to pass a bill amending the laws in September in face of an outcry from Islamist opposition parties.

The bill was reintroduced in parliament today and again met fierce objections.

''This is an attempt to create a free sex zone in Pakistan,'' opposition leader Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman told the lower house of parliament.

''Existing laws are correct and should be maintained. There is no need for any amendment. The changes are not in line with Islamic teaching,'' he said.

Controversy over the laws reflects a long-running tug-of-war between Pakistani liberals and conservatives over the direction of society in the predominantly Muslim country.

Human rights campaigners have long pressed for complete repeal of the laws, known as the Hudood Ordinances, but have nevertheless welcomed government efforts to amend them.

The government's major proposed change would take rape out of the sphere of religious law and put it under the penal code.

That would do away with the requirement that a victim needs four male witnesses and would allow convictions to be made on the basis of forensic and circumstantial evidence.

''HOPELESSLY FLAWED'' Rehman leads the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of Islamist parties that threatened in September to pull out of the national and provincial assemblies if the amendments were passed.

He did not repeat that threat in his initial remarks today.

Analysts said earlier it was unlikely the alliance would actually follow through and give up its seats in assemblies over the changes.

About 50 human rights activists staged a protest outside parliament demanding total repeal of the Hudood laws.

US based Human Rights Watch said the government had to honour its pledge to amend them.

''General Musharraf claims he is an 'enlightened moderate' in favour of women's rights, but so far he has been all talk and no action,'' Ali Dayan Hasan, a researcher for the US based group, said in a statement.

''The Hudood Ordinances are hopelessly flawed and should be repealed, but this bill will provide at least modest relief to victims,'' Hasan said.

The debate came two days after Islamists ruling North West Frontier Province passed a controversial bill to introduce what critics said would be a Taliban-style religious police force.

The Islamist-led provincial government succeeded in getting a watered-down version of its bill adopted on Monday after the Supreme Court last year blocked it, saying several clauses were unconstitutional.

REUTERS PB RK1458