Media watch: Shariat court's orders

Media discusses the Federal Shariat Court's move to declare sections of the Women's Protection Bill as un-Islamic.

Media watch is a daily round-up of key articles featured on news websites, hand-picked by The Express Tribune web staff.

FSC judgment

This appears to be an attempt by the FSC to widen its jurisdictional sphere, something which is not only alarming but also appears to be at odds with other constitutional jurisprudence. According to legal experts, the issue of jurisdiction is something only the Supreme Court is ultimately empowered to decide. (dawn.com)

Do we need a moral police?

All the laws created to ‘Islamise’ the system deserve to be repealed on merit; these are bad laws. The whole edifice constructed on that foundation also needs to be abolished. The retrogressive and reactionary nature of, and setting itself above parliament’s will by the FSC, is the corollary of that misplaced emphasis on religion in matters of governance. (dailytimes.com.pk)

FSC decision

There is a need on its part to ensure that the problem created by the judgment is resolved in the light of a moderate version of Islam that recognises gender equality. This is needed to make Pakistan a genuinely modern Islamic state as visualised by its Founding Fathers. (pakistantoday.com.pk)