Holy Quran. PHOTO: FILE
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Thursday ruled that there is no need to amend the blasphemy law but its misuse needs to be stopped.
Law against the registration of fake FIRs already exists and should also be implemented against the registration of fake blasphemy cases, the top body of clerics observed in its meeting held under its chairman Maulana Muhammad Khan Shirani.
The CII is a constitutional body that advises the legislature whether or not a certain law is repugnant to Islam.
Though the council remained indecisive over a number of important legislative issues related to Islamic jurisprudence, the members agreed to continue deliberations, said Tahir Ashrafi, one of the members of the council.
Ashrafi, who is also chairman of Ulema Council of Pakistan, said that the members of the body were unanimous against any change in blasphemy law. “We will not allow anyone to touch this (blasphemy) law,” he said.
The CII agreed that DNA tests could be used as evidence in rape cases.
“The discussion on DNA testing was also successful and we were unanimous on the issue that DNA tests can be presented as evidence in rape cases coupled with other circumstances of the crime,” a member of the body said.
Earlier, the council had ruled that DNA tests could only be admitted as primary evidence if the accused denied charges of rape and if four witnesses were available as per Islamic law.
The council dismissed the Women Protection Act 2006 and recommended the parliament to re-examine the act.
The legal minds will also work on the implications of the Women Protection Act 2006 before sending it to the parliament, said another member of the council. Ulema were convinced that certain clauses of this act are contrary to the Islamic teachings of Quran and Sunnah.
CII, according to the Constitution, makes recommendations to the parliament, “as to the ways and means of enabling and encouraging the Muslims of Pakistan to order their lives individually and collectively in all respects in accordance with the principles and concepts of Islam as enunciated in the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2013.
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Dear liberals, at the end the only option left with us is, Zinda Bhaaag.
We recently witnessed an Imam providing false testimony in a blasphemy case - accused had to flee the country - false accuser walked free. Convincing evidence that major reform of blasphemy laws are in order.
Dissolve CII, why keep these illiterate maniac mullahs on the government payroll.
The Chairman of the CII is a JUI-F senior member..................a party known for its soft leanings towards the Taliban and religious extremists. What can one expect from him ?
@The Truth: Shall I smile or hit my head against the wall.....????
That the law against false FIRs already exists is fine. The police then need to ensure that it is applied. But the state and or society should compensate the person accused and acquitted. The trauma, the turmoil, the stigma.
Please lets study the effects on these victims and bring the studies out for discussion in the public domain. Much needed.
Very interestingly, the chairman of the CII (a constitutional body) was a Senator (can't keep two posts) then participated in elections , won a seat in the national assembly (still holding his senate seat) became a member of national assembly (from JUIF , which makes him unacceptable as a head of a constitutional body ) and then his term as a senator expired. So he is now a member of the national assembly of JUIF and holding a position as CII chairman. With so much illegality in this whole affair what kind of things can you expect.
@abc: What of it?
can we please take religion out of the affairs of the state,,, this cii sounds like another body to give the bearded ones some air time religion and ethnicity have proved to be immensely devisive factors in pakistan...
Spiritual and moral decay call for stricter laws. But are these laws compatible with the teachings of the Rahmat-lil-Alameen?
Blasphemy laws themselves are a misuse of human intellect.