ISLAMABAD: Leader of the House in Senate, Raja Zafarul Haq Monday rejected all the arguments made by members of the upper house of parliament for disbanding the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).
Speaking over a motion moved by Senator Farhatullah Babar of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), he said as the legislation was a continuous process, the work of Council of Islamic Ideology will also continue.
“The House may discuss the working and recent pronouncements of the Council of Islamic Ideology,” said the motion moved by Babar.
Haq of the treasury benches said it was wrong to say that the task of the council had ended after it submitted its final report on review of laws.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator said the Islamic council was imperative for compiling the laws in accordance with the Holy Quran and Sunnah, adding that the government, on the basis of the allegations levelled against CII, cannot shut the institution down.
He said some of the decisions of the council had been published in the newspapers but its report was not presented before the parliament.
Minister of State for Religious Affairs Pir Ameenul Hasnaat said Senator Farhatullah Babar was making non-issue an issue.
He said the CII was formed according to the Constitution of 1973, which was made by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the former prime minister and founder of PPP.
The minister said as long as any bill was not introduced in both the houses of parliament, there should not be discussion over it.
Earlier, initiating the debate, Farhatullah Babar criticized the working and recent pronouncements of the Council of Islamic Ideology regarding DNA test, Blasphemy Law and Women Protection Bill.
He alleged that the CII was representing political parties, adding that the council submitted its final report on review of laws in 1997 and thus completed its task asking the parliament to review ten per cent of laws.
The PPP senator said there was a need to revisit CII whether it should continue working or not. The Federal Shariah Court was there to implement the recommendations of the CII, he added.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Hafiz Hamidullah said that the CII was a constitutional body and it was its responsibility to make recommendations according to Islam and send it to the parliament.
He said the person who was of the view that there was no need of that institute, should be questioned that why they had not closed that body in their tenure, adding that the JUI-F strongly opposes it.
Regarding the appointments of its members, the lawmaker said that all the members of the body had been appointed by the Pakistan People’s Party during the previous government.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Senator Col (retd) Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi said that no one should do politics in the name of Islam, adding that parliament was the best forum to discuss all issues.
He said Farhatullah Babar was a constitutional man and his motion was according to the constitution.
Senator Prof Sajid Meer said the purpose of the CII was to make recommendations according to Islam. Regarding the political appointments in the CII, the senator added that appointments may be reviewed.