Mufti Taqi Usmani opposes lifetime immunity

ISLAMABAD: Prominent religious scholar Muhammad Taqi Usmani has strongly opposed any move to grant lifetime legal immunity to any individual, saying such protection is against the principles of Islam and the spirit of the Constitution.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the Mufti said that in Islam, “no persons, no matter how high position they hold, can be above judicial proceedings, above the law or beyond judicial accountability.”

He cited the examples of the Khulafa-e-Rashideen, who, he noted, themselves appeared before courts when required. He observed that even in Pakistan’s Constitution, the immunity granted to the president during his tenure had no basis in Islamic teachings. “To extend this protection for life would be completely contrary to both Shariah and the spirit of the Constitution,” he remarked.

Calling the proposal “deeply shameful for the country”, Mufti Usmani prayed that “MAY Allah save the nation from such dishonour.” He made an earnest appeal to members of Parliament “not to take this sin upon themselves” by endorsing the move.