ISLAMABAD. Oct 9: Pakistan's National Assembly passed a constitutional amendment today giving wide powers to the government to enforce Islamic Sharia Law, reports AFP.

Amidst shouts of 'shame, shame' from Opposition MPs. the lower house carried the bill by 151-16.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made changes to the original draft in a bid to secure unanimity . . . but opponents say it still gives the government sweeping powers.

Sharif welcomed the vote. He said the 'sole' aim was to ensure social justice, end corruption and wipe out lawlessness, murders. gangrapes and banditry.'

The bUl. now goes to the 87-

member Senate for endorsement and would become law once signed by President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar.

But it is likely to face greater opposition in the Senate where the government does not have the two-thirds majority needed to push it through.

Under the bill, the government must "take steps to enforce" Sharia Law. to establish salat, the practice of praying five times a day. and to administer the Islamic charity tax zakat.

The government will 'prescribe. what is right and forbid what is wrong" under Sharia, promote Muslim morality and act to eradicate corruption and ensure 'substantial' socio-economic Justice.

The provisions will override 'anything contained in the Constitution, any law or judgement of any court.'

Five members of Christian and eiher minority parties, along with 12 from the Mut-tahldda Qaumi Movement, which is an ally of Sharif, abstained from the voting.

The Assembly, dominated by Sharifs party, threw out opposition amendments. Opposition members have said the bill was "dangerous" but their shouts during the vote were drowned out by government MPs.

Khurshid All Shah, deputising for opposition leader Benazir Bhutto who is abroad, said the amendment would "destroy" the Constitution and arm the government with dictatorial powers, it will make the Supreme Court and the entire judiciary 'irrelevant.' he said.

'Please give up this dangerous game,' Shah pleaded.

Naveed Qamar, another leader from Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, said the government move would create chaos' and expose the people to arbitrary interpretation of Sharia by the government.

Maulana Snirani of Jamiat Ulema Islam said his party had 'reservations' although it supported enforcement of Islamic Law. He said the legislation was unwarranted since the Constitution already had sufficient Islamic provisions.

T am sure nothing will change.' he said, noting that none of you heeded the Friday prayer call from the mosques today' as members rushed to pass the bill.

Pakistan is headed toward a 'hell of lot of confusion.' said Asfandyar Wali, a leader of op-Position Awami National arty.

Sharif, speaking about changes to the bill made by the cabinet on Wednesday, said the government had withdrawn a clause allowing a simple majority for the adoption of future Sharia-related constitutional amendments.

Another provision giving the government authority to issue Islamic 'directives' had also been withdrawn, he said.

Declaring the aim of the law was to ensure socio-economic justice and end corruption and crime, Sharif said that under the existing system there is 'no room' for the government to achieve these objectives.

"I do not seek any powers for myself . . . I already have enough powers.' he said.

'We want to make Pakistan a

cradle of peace, progress and social, economic ana legal justice.' he said.

He assured the rights of minorities and women would be fully protected.

But minority leaders dismissed promises by Sharif to protect the rights of minorities in Pakistan, says AP.

■We've heard such promises for 50 years and we know that in practice they cannot be kept . . . this is a system which divides people on basis of religion.’ said Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Commission for Justice and Peace.

It is a weapon in the hands of fundamentalists, which would be misused against religious minorities," said Shahbaz Bhatti, a leader of the Christian Liberation Front.

Nawaz Sharif. . . just wants to concentrate power, said Bhatti,

Human rights groups and women activists also protested the proposed amendment .

Sharif pushed for the law to defuse pressure from Islamic hard-liners that began to mount after the US-led economic sanctions were imposed on Pakistan following its nuclear test in May. The pressure increased after the United States bombed a suspected terrorist operations base in neighboring Afghanistan in August. Sharifs right-wing opponents accused him of collusion in the bombing raid.

The Pakistan army, which maintains behind-the-scenes influence on policy, remained silent in the debate over the bill. But sources said the generals were unhappy with the bill because it concentrated more power in the government's hands and could fuel the already rampant sectarian tensions in the country.