Hasba Bill not clerics’ martial law: Fazl

PESHAWAR: Opposition Leader in The National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has dispelled the impression that the Hasba Bill is the martial law of clerics, saying the bill’s implementation is a dream of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and that it will be fulfilled.

Presiding over an MMA Supreme Council meeting – called to review several aspects of the Hasba Bill – at Frontier House on Saturday, Fazl asked the NWFP government and Shariat Council not to act rashly and take cautious steps to remove the common misconception that the Hasba bill was the martial law of clerics.

He stressed forming an institution to organise future rules in line with implementing the much-debated Hasba bill.

MMA sources said a final decision about approving the Hasba Bill would be taken at the next Supreme Council meeting.

Sources said the meeting thoroughly reviewed a proposed draft of the bill and it was decided that no action would be taken on someone’s verbal complaints.

Also, MMA leaders decided during the meeting that it was unnecessary to appoint ombudsmen to every district and that the provincial ombudsman should appoint ombudsmen to districts where deemed necessary.

The meeting also decided to initially appoint ombudsmen to seven divisional headquarters.

Differences of opinion surfaced over the qualification of an MA Journalism degree for a working journalist and it was decided that the Supreme Council would resolve the matter. online

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