A SUSPECTED Islamic militant shot dead a female provincial minister at a political meeting in central Pakistan today because she was not wearing Muslim clothing, officials said. Zill-e Huma, the Punjab province minister for social welfare, was shot in the head at a function in Gujranwala city, provincial law minister Raja Basharat said. "She was shot dead by a fanatic when she was meeting with party workers," he said.Officials said Huma was known for promoting women's rights. "He killed her because she was not observing the Islamic code of dress. She was also campaigning for emancipation of women," local police officer Nazir Ahmad said. "The suspect is an extremist and he has a history of targeting woman whom he believed to be immoral."
The Government of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has made some progress on women's rights in recent years, as part of the pro-US ruler's policy of "enlightened moderation" designed to tackle extremism. The Government introduced a Bill in Parliament on February 13 seeking to end the forced marriage of women and girls and allowing females to inherit property, officials said.
Gujranwala, some 250km southeast of Islamabad, was hit by riots in April 2005 after police stopped armed Islamic activists from disrupting a mini-marathon involving female competitors.