By
The Associated Press
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's military-led government has pledged to scrap discriminatory laws against women, combat violence against them and promote female literacy, but hitting these targets remains an uphill task in this poor South Asian nation.
A new national commission has started work this week to end gender discrimination and protect women's rights, Shaheen Sardar, the commission's chief, said from the northern border city of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's conservative Northwestern Frontier Province.
Reviewing laws that are particularly harsh toward women and implementing reform will require a lot of hard work and political will, she said in an interview on Sunday.
However, the new government has been empowered by Pakistan's Supreme Court to amend the constitution and enforce new laws - without having to secure the approval of a parliament. The parliament has been suspended since last October, when the military seized power in a bloodless coup. The commission includes senior government officials, rights activists and social workers.
One of the top items on the commission's agenda is to curb so-called honor killings of women by their relatives. In a country where centuries-old tribal and feudal traditions hold sway - especially in rural areas - this will not be simple.
"It's a most dishonorable act. It's a murder and nobody would be allowed to get away with it," said Sardar, who taught law at Peshawar University before joining the military government.
"Unlike the past governments, we will take a firm stand against the honor killings," he said.
More than 1,000 women were killed in Pakistan last year, either for marrying men against the will of their families or for flimsy reasons like talking to a man other than a relative, human rights groups say.
These killings are based on a "suspicion of immorality on the part of the victim," independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says.
Most such killings occurred in the Northwestern province, which borders Afghanistan. Afghanistan is ruled by the orthodox Taliban, who bar women from work and education and force them to wear veils.
Several Islamic groups, especially in Pakistan's tribal region, advocate a Taliban-like system.
Foqia Sadiq Khan, a human rights activist, said the military government's tone regarding women's issues is positive compared to the previous government. "But this regime has a record of bowing to the pressure of religious groups," she said.
Earlier this year, the military withdrew a plan to try to curb abuses of the controversial blasphemy law, which carries the death penalty for insulting Islam or its prophet, Mohammed. Since then, aid workers say religious groups have been emboldened and stepped up threats against people working for women and minorities' rights.
"Giving lip service to women's causes is not enough," Khan said. "The issue is whether the government wants to take practical steps."
The commission also aims to boost female literacy, which stands at 24 percent compared to the national average of 38 percent.
Sardar said that in rural areas, where female education is the lowest, people equate education with westernization. "We have to dispel this notion and convince people that depriving a girl from education is against Islam's teachings."
