Christians face Taliban law in Pakistan province

The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in Pakistan which borders Afghanistan has announced the passing of the controversial legislation which will enable it to create Taliban–style police system – a move which has been dubbed as "unconstitutional" by opponents of the Bill.

The Hasba Bill was passed on Monday 13 November 2006 with a majority. It allows for the creation of an Islamic watchdog to monitor the strict observance of Islamic practices in public places. This proposed watchdog has been compared to the Taliban regime's Department of Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue in Afghanistan.

The province, which borders Afghanistan, is ruled by the Muttahida Majils–e–Amal Party (MMA) – a coalition of Islamist radical parties said to have close links with the deposed Taliban regime. The MMA has a strong majority in the NWFP provincial assembly.

A previous draft of the legislation was passed by the provincial assembly in 2005. However, the Bill was blocked from becoming legislation and declared unconstitutional by Pakistan's Supreme Court. The current legislation will now be sent to the Province's Governor for ratification.

On November 15, Maulvi Iqbal Haider of Pakistan Awami Himayat Tehreek, an Islamic party, lodged a challenge to the Bill in the Supreme Court of Pakistan under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, contending that the Bill would give rise to a constitutional crisis in the society and lead to a setup parallel to the judicial system in the province.

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) has labeled the Bill as an "Islamic martial law." "[It is like] a sword hanging over religious minorities and women since they will be prime target of extremists," said Shahbaz Bhatti, chairman, APMA.

"[The] Hasba Bill is unconstitutional, a religious marshal law, and a parallel legal system that will spread anarchy and chaos in society and will deprive the general public of their rights and liberty. The provincial government will be able to use this bill to victimize its political opponents," he warned, adding, "the bill is a conspiracy against the integrity of the country and the solidarity [of its people]. It hampers the efforts to promote interfaith harmony, a democratic culture and an enlightened and moderate image of the country."

"The repression imposed by the Taliban regime is well known. It is therefore deeply concerning that a province in Pakistan has chosen to adopt a similar system. Pakistan's Supreme Court has rejected this legislation once and we urge the authorities in Pakistan to reject it again," Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of Christian advocacy group, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said.

According to news sources, Christians and other minority communities in NWFP are now living under a shroud of fear, as implementation of the draconic legislation would result in severe repression of their exercise of "freedom of religion" and "freedom of speech and expression."