Experts advocate for ‘thoughtful’ legal reforms

Islamabad : Experts during a dialogue emphasised that in order to ensure justice and long-term societal welfare, legal reforms must be thoughtful, reflecting the country’s evolving realities without compromising its core Islamic and cultural values.

They said the law-making process should prioritise clarity, enforceability, and contextual relevance, while citizens should also respect and adhere to the law to create a functional, effective legal system.

The discussion, titled “Ensuring Rights in the Family: Review of Legislative Proposals” and held at the Institute of Policy Studies here, focused on the recent bills on matrimonial assets and maintenance, initiated by Senator Syed Ali Zafar and Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, respectively.

The panellists included IPS chairman Khalid Rahman, Supreme Court advocate Imran Shafique, director at the Centre for Islamic Law & Human Rights Syed Muaz Shah, Supreme Court lawyer Asma Mushtaq, high court counsel Usama bin Salam, former parliamentarian Dr Sameeha Raheel Qazi, and Bahria University assistant professor Taj Muhammad.

They said the evolving nature of family structures in Pakistan, driven by the transition from agricultural to industrial economies, had significantly reshaped family responsibilities.

This shift necessitates legal frameworks that are adaptive and reflective of contemporary realities while remaining sensitive to cultural and religious values, according to them.

The experts voiced concern about the legal definition issues within the proposed matrimonial asset bills and said the bills in question seemed to place undue financial burdens

on men.

They also said poorly drafted legal proposals could destabilise the family system, potentially causing men to hesitate before marrying or refuse to grant divorce out of fear of losing property.