Pakistans President Asif Zardari knows how to stay in the news. And so does the countrys Chief Justice,Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Both have written of the symbolic value of July 5,the day when Zia ul Haq thwarted the constitution and jailed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Dawn quoted Zardari on July 5 as saying: The dismantling of democratic structures that began on July 5,1977 reminds [us how one military dictator nurtured extremists for his political survival and how another dictatorship exploited the same extremists by running with the hare and hunting with the hound again for perpetuating himself in power. Let us vow to banish from the constitution all undemocratic insertions made by the dictators from time to time. Simultaneously,at a conference convened for members of Pakistans legal fraternity,Chaudhry termed July 5 a sad day in our [Pakistans constitutional history,as on this day 32 years ago,the countrys fundamental law was suspended and the democratic process was thwarted, as reported by The News.
Braveheart Zardari
British Sharia
If you thought the Swat was the only home of Shariah courts,Dawns report may force a rethink. A startling report by M. Ziauddin,the Pakistani papers face in London stated on July 8: Media debate is continuing since it was revealed in a report last week that at least 85 Sharia tribunals are now operating in the UK. Some quarters have attacked British law which is seen to be threatened by the creeping tide of radical Sharia. The Sharia courts in the UK are regularly giving advice on issues,including marriage and divorce. Decisions concerning marriages not recognised under English law,polygamy and disputes regarding children are being made by these Sharia courts,according to the report by the Civitas,a think-tank. The report claimed that there was no clear divide between the functions of Imams and the Sharia courts. One report said that about two-thirds of Muslim marriages were not being registered under the Marriages Act,which was illegal and a woman with such a marriage would have no choice but to go to a Sharia tribunal.
