Pakistan passes bill approving Islamic law

National Catholic Reporter, Oct 23, 1998

Despite opposition from human rights groups, opposition parties and Christian groups, Pakistan's National Assembly has passed an amendment bill to Islamize the country's constitution.

Introduced by the government in the National Assembly on Aug. 28, the proposed 15th amendment to the 1973 Pakistan Constitution would make the Koran and the Sunna (Islamic tradition) the supreme law of Pakistan and give the government more power to enforce Islamic law.

With 16 members of opposition parties voting against the bill and 50 other assembly members either choosing not to vote or being absent, the bill was passed Oct. 9 with 151 votes in its favor, enough for the two-thirds majority of the 217 assembly members as required in the constitution for an amendment.

Three of the four Christian assemblymen abstained, and the fourth, Tariq Qaiser, was out of the country. Ten seats are reserved to religious minorities.

Media said that four of the other six minority assemblymen voted for the bill, while two abstained. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League has a two-thirds majority in the assembly.