Pak to go by the Quran, asserts Sharif

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28 (PTI) — Bowing to mounting pressure from fundamentalist parties in the wake of US missile attacks on Afghanistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today announced that his government is taking "concrete and historic" measures by making Islam as the supreme law of Pakistan.

After nuclear tests, the government has decided to take another step that will change the complexion of the whole Pakistani society by bringing a constitutional amendment by which the Quran and Sunnat (saying of Prophet Mohammad) will be the supreme law of Pakistan, Mr Sharif said in a speech to the national assembly which was telecast live in the country.

He said he can no more sit idle following "rampant incidents of terrorism, lawlessness, injustice, corruption and mismanagement" and declared that "the time has come to take action."

"This is redemption of the pledge by the PML government, in whose manifesto Islamisation was a promise to be fulfilled," Mr Sharif said amidst thunderous applause by the party members in the Lower House of Parliament.

But Mr Sharif said the constitutional amendment would protect the "personal" (civil) law and religious freedom of non-Muslim minorities in the country, where the existing legal system is a mixture of Islamic law and British jurisprudence.

This steps towards conservatism, which is mainly to please fundamentalist parties, comes a week after the USA caused outrage in Pakistan by conducting missile attacks on Afghanistan and Sudan.

Sharif cancels Durban trip

ISLAMABAD, Aug 28 (PTI) — Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today cancelled his planned visit to Durban to attend the NAM summit next week due to "important engagements at home".

NNI news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz as saying that he would be representing Pakistan at the NAM summit.

The Prime Minister will not attend the meeting due to his important engagements at home, the agency quoted, Mr Aziz as saying.

On the sidelines of the summit, Mr Sharif was scheduled to have a meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on September 2 as a follow up to their talks in Colombo last month.

Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina yesterday also cancelled her visit to Durban in the wake of devastating floods in the country.