Madina-like state formation: CII to recommend steps

ISLAMABAD: The country’s apex advisory body on Islam has prepared recommendations for the PTI government which had promised to make the Naya Pakistan a replica of “Madina state” that existed during the early days of Islam.

The recommendation will be deliberated upon and finalised during the Council of Islamic Ideology’s (CII) 214th meeting to be held today. The council is a constitutional body which recommends changes to Pakistani laws to make them Sharia-compliant.

Talking to The News, CII Chairman Qibla Ayaz said the recommendation had been prepared by a 20-member committee constituted in response to a government request in this regard. “Two members of Federal Cabinet (Ali Muhammad Khan and Noor-ul-Haq Qadri) had approached the CII with request for recommendation to make the country a model state on the pattern of state of Madina,” Ayaz told The News.

If the recommendations are implemented, the country would have to do away with interest-based economy and bring about wide-ranging reforms in the country’s legal, administrative and education systems, Ayaz added.

He said the committee recommended measures to make the country a welfare state. However, the CII Chairman said it was”raw draft” at the current stage and micro-level recommendations would be prepared by a task force, to be formed later.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly claimed before and after the elections that his vision of Naya Pakistan is to establish a welfare state on the pattern of Madina. During two-day meeting the Council will also take up the issue of restriction on Islamic sadaqa donations under the Punjab Charity Act 2018.

Ayaz said the council would discuss whether or not the Act promulgated last year by Punjab government was in line with the Islamic teachings. The prominent religious scholars would also discuss whether the government should subsidise extra-expenses for Haj Package 2018 to fulfill its religious obligation?

The meeting will discuss Islamic point of view on subjecting the electoral candidates to an oath under which they are bound to uphold religious and national requirements. The two-day gathering will also talk about the legal theory of the council.

It will also look into amendments in laws regarding right of inheritance for women and make suggestions in this regard. Issues of penalising men for giving triple divorce in one sitting would also be further discussed in today’s meeting. The council will also consider a public letter in which its attention was drawn towards change of women name in national identity cards after their marriage and problems they face afterwards.