Triple Talaq at one time to be punishable: CII chief

ISLAMABAD: Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has called for the implementation of its recommendations on triple Talaq, a practice which has been recently banned by Indian Supreme Court.

According to its new chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz, the Council will also lobby in Parliament to ensure that its recommendations are implemented by the government. One of the key recommendations that the Council wants to implement is making three divorces at a time a punishable offence. Triple Talaq is the practice under which a Muslim man can divorce his wife by simply uttering "Talaq" three times.

CII had recommended to make the practice a punishable offence to discourage impulsive divorce by husbands. However, he clarified that under CII opinion the divorce does take place in case a man utters the word thrice in one sitting, although the practice is discouraged.

In Pakistan, the CCI recommended punishment to those husbands who give three divorces at a time three years ago but it is yet to be implemented. He added that the CII will soon devise recommendations to protect rights of transgender population under the Islamic teachings while experts will also meet to discuss the status of virtual currency like Bitcoin after it was declared haram by the office of Egyptian Grand Mufti.

CII is a constitutional body that advises Parliament on whether or not a certain law is repugnant to Islam. On January 17 Council will take up ‘Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Bill 2017’ which was referred by the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights. According to Qibla Ayaz, transgender persons enjoy more rights than people of other sexual orientations under the Islamic teachings and the Council will give its input on the issue in the next meeting.

The bill on Transgender Person was drafted by a national task force constituted by Federal Ombudsman and approved by the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights in December last year. In the proposed bill several sections have been recommended which includes giving transgender equal rights in property, proper job quota and others.

Qibla Ayaz who was appointed on November 4 vowed to make the Council a think tank on Islam. “The world has become a global village and there are many challenges both external and internal. Therefore, CII will start ‘Future study’ and it will play a role of ‘Think Tank’”, said Qibla Ayaz, in his first informal interaction with media. The new CII chairman has held several important positions in the University of Peshawar, including the Dean of Faculty of Islamic and Oriental Studies.

“In next a couple of weeks, the world will see CII as an active and vibrant as several discussions and seminars on minorities especially on transgender will be on the top of the agenda,” said the chairman.

He said CII will ponder over modern issues like problems being faced by non-Muslims in Pakistan, environmental issues and Muslim communities living in non-Muslim countries. Responding to another question, Ayaz said that the opinion and recommendations of the female members would be taken up on a priority basis.