THE fact that many politicians and clerics have objected to the recently passed Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Bill, and have termed it contrary to Islamic Shariah, is disappointing.

Those opposing the law by saying it would increase divorce ratesneed tounderstand that marriages can only be saved by eradicating domestic violence rather than by making women suffer through it. Also, if the critics had concerns over any possible misuse of the law, they should have proposed relevant amendments to it rather than terming the entire act as un-Islamic and unnecessary.

Unfortunately, numerous Pakistani clerics have had a history of using religion to justify domestic violence as well as child marriages. It is time we stopped letting them use Islam as a cover for their outrageous views.

Fer Ghanaa Ansari Islamabad (2) MAULANA Fazlur Rehman, chief of his faction of JUI has ridiculed the Punjab Assembly for passing the women protection bill which provides protection and legal recourse to women who are victims of domestic violence.

It is not surprising that some other religio-political parties have also joined the JUI-F in condemning the bill calling it un-Islamic and against the Shariah.

I would like to ask the parties who oppose the women protection bill that, by calling this law un-Islamic, do they mean thatbeatingup,thrashing,torturing and harassing of women folk is Islamic? Or, do they want that the chauvinistic macho men be allowed to keep thrashing and flogging the weaker sex with complete impunity? I am sure their answer to the above would be a `no`. Then what do they have to fear or object to in implementing the law protecting women against the violence that is perpetrated onthem? Col. (retd) Riaz Jafri Rawalpindi