Fatwa against Pak minister for hugging

Militant clerics heading a madrasa here have issued a fatwa against Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiyar alleging she was photographed in an “obscene manner” while taking part in a paragliding show in France.

Militant clerics heading a madrasa here have issued a fatwa against Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiyar alleging she was photographed in an “obscene manner” while taking part in a paragliding show in France.

The decree against Bhaktiar, a strong supporter of President Pervez Musharraf’s “enlightened moderation”, was issued by Darul Afta of Lal Masjid, located in the heart of Islamabad, the daily Dawn reported on Monday. Last Friday, the mosque set up a Qazi court and gave a month’s deadline to the government to impose Sharia law in the capital and to close music shops.

Bhaktiar recently took part in a paragliding show in France and pictures of her being hugged by a paraglider were published in some newspapers. Clerics Abdul Aziz and Abdur Rashid Gazi, who run the mosque, have asked the government to “punish and sack” her. The fatwa against Bhaktiar comes after ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) president and General Pervez Musharraf’s confidante met the two clerics on Sunday. They held closed-door talks to resolve the stand-off over the clerics’ calls for implementation of Sharia and moral policing attempts by militant burqa-clad, bamboo-wielding madrasa girls who have tried to raid alleged brothels and demanded that music stores be shut down. Minister of State for Health Shahnaz Sheikh said Darul Afta had no authority to issue a decree against anyone. “These people are misinterpreting Islam and we strongly condemn this act,” she was quoted as saying in Dawn.

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Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s information secretary S Rehman said no one should be allowed to take the law into his or her hands.

“Women are being exploited and subjected to discrimination and excesses,” said Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Aasma Jahangir, adding that the decree had no credibility. “No importance should be attached to it. What authority do they wield that they can issue fatwas at will ?” she said.

Parents warn madrasa

ISLAMABAD: Parents of a number of girls studying in the militant Jamia Hafsa madrasa here have warned the seminary’s administration to withdraw their decision of enforcing Sharia through violence.

“We have admitted our daughters there to study Islamic subjects, not to carry sticks or guard their academy,” Sanober Khan, parent of a student from Mardan in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) was quoted by Dawn.