Sheerani’s appointment as CII head challenged

IHC directs deputy attorney general to seek instructions from the federation

ISLAMABAD: The appointment of Maulana Muhammad Khan Sheerani as the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has been challenged before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The council, a constitutional body formed in 1962 by Gen Ayub Khan, advises the legislature whether or not a certain law is repugnant to Islam.



Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC has directed the Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Husnain Ibrahim Kazmi to seek instructions from the federation about Sherani’s appointment and submit a reply within 10 days.

The petitioner, Moeen Hayat Cheema, who teaches law at Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) and Australian National University (ANU) has filed the petition through Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar.

He has made Sheerani and President Mamnoon Hussain, through his secretary, respondents in the case. The petition argues that the president appointed Sherani illegally.

The petition says that CII is a body controlled by the government, and as Sheerani was already an MNA at the time of his appointment as chairman, he could not have been validly appointed to CII.  It is contended by the petitioner that Sheerani’s appointment was in fact a political move by the PML-N government to appease JUI-F. He said that “no consideration was given to the suitability of Sheerani to the post based on merit.”



Separately, in a press statement, Cheema said that the CII is a constitutional institution with the mandate to advise the legislatures on the Islamisation of laws. Unfortunately the CII has been used to make political appointments and provide perks and privileges to members of a minor party in successive coalition governments.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2016.