Pakistan: Campaign against 'un-Islamic' practices gains momentum

Just three weeks after the NWFP assembly approved the enforcement of 'shariah' (Islamic law) in the province, the information ministry of Pakistan's federal government issued a circular last week declaring a 'crusade against obscenity in print and electronic advertisements.' Concerns go beyond the industry affected by the anti-obscenity campaign. Recalling the changes that the NWFP government -- led by the six-party alliance of religious parties called Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) -- has put into place, some see this as just the latest sign of a bigger trend reflective of the rise of religious parties, one that could slowly undercut people's rights.