Blame for change in Khatm-e-Nabuwwat clause cannot be pinned on one person: report

Committee headed by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq concludes 32 parliamentarians approved changes in clause


News Desk November 21, 2017
National Assembly. PHOTO: APP/FILE

The committee headed by Raja Zafarul Haq in its report concluded that the changes in Khatm-e-Nabuwwat clause in Election Act, 2016 had been approved by the whole committee on electoral reforms, which has 34 representatives from all political parties.

The committee headed by the leader of the house in Senate, that was probing who was responsible for the changes, said that around 34 members belonging to various parties did also agree to make the amendment, Express News reported on Tuesday.

Deposed prime minister Nawaz Shariff had formed this committee to probe the issue of alteration in the Prophethood Declaration Clause in Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 and submit a report.

Led by Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, the team comprised Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Federal Minister Mushahidullah Khan.

The Electoral Reforms Bill draft bore a changed clause concerning the Prophethood (PBUH) declaration when it was tabled in the National Assembly earlier last month to which the opposition objected and Speaker Ayaz Sadiq declared it a ‘clerical mistake’.

Khatm-e-Nabuwwat: Nawaz orders inquiry into gaffe in nomination form

Although the National Assembly had unanimously amended the Election Act 2017 to restore clauses related to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat in the nomination papers in the original form, many political leaders censured the lawmakers for passing it in the first place while religious groups demanded that the person responsible be held accountable and removed.

Around 2,500 members of the Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR), led by firebrand cleric Khadim Rizvi have been camping on Faizabad, the main road into the capital, for almost two weeks, hampering the movement of traffic to and from the capital city.

The report by probing committee further said that an individual cannot be held responsible for the changes as the bill was approved by the whole electoral reforms committee.

The report said that along with mainstream parties, the religious organisations including Jamate-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat-e-Ulma-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) had also approved the reform.

[poll id="1535"]

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ