JUI-F chief wins high praise from Mufti Usmani for 26th Amendment

KARACHI: Noted religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani on Monday said he has run out of words to pay tribute to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his role in the passage of the pro-Islam 26th constitutional amendment by the parliament.

In his post on the social networking website X, the scholar said the latest amendment to the constitution had addressed issues related to eliminating Riba (interest) from the country, establishing the Federal Shariat Court, and supporting religious seminaries.

He remarked that the passage of the amendment had saved the country from severe political discord. He mentioned that he has received good news after a long time.Mufti Usmani noted that Rehman had guided the nation and his fellow countrymen with wisdom to achieve several Islamic objectives. He prayed for the longevity of Rehman’s life, and for blessings on his knowledge and efforts.

Mufti Usmani prayed that Allah grant acceptance to the services rendered by Rehman.As stipulated in the 26th constitutional amendment on Rehman’s recommendation, the Pakistani economy and banking system must be rendered interest-free before the deadline of January 1, 2028.

This July, while speaking to businessmen and industrialists at the head office of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) in Karachi, Mufti Usmani had lamented that numerous decisions, movements, demands and resolutions had been made in the country to eliminate Riba, but to no avail.

He expressed gratitude to the FPCCI leadership for convening a conference in 2022 on the issue of interest, inviting all the relevant stakeholders, including government authorities.However, he lamented that progress could not be made on the recommendations of the conference aimed at eliminating interest from the Pakistani economy. He noted that a steering committee formed by the government on this issue also failed to complete its task in a timely manner, as its work remained suspended.

He said the government and political leadership in the country lacked the resolve to eliminate the interest-based economic and banking systems due to Pakistan’s significant reliance on the IMF and other international lending agencies to meet its financial needs.

The scholar asserted that Pakistan lacked the financial and economic autonomy to make such important decisions in accordance with Islamic teachings because of its dependence on the IMF.

He reminded everyone that the Holy Quran clearly states that Riba has no place in Islam, and those who practise it are working against Allah’s instructions and the Last Prophet’s (PBUH) teachings.

Meanwhile, senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader MNA Syed Mustafa Kamal warmly congratulated all the parliamentarians in general and Rehman in particular on the inclusion of the deadline in the constitution for rendering the Pakistani economy interest-free.

Kamal said Rehman deserves special praise for his tremendous work, which he attributed to Allah’s blessing. He expressed gratitude to Allah for his party becoming a partner in the process of eliminating Riba from the Pakistani economy.He recalled that after becoming a parliamentarian, his first speech in the National Assembly was against the prevalence of the interest-based economic system in the country.