Handcuffing someone without proving guilty un-Islamic: CII

ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Thursday declared handcuffing of accused by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is not only against the law of the country but also against the Islamic Sharia.

The CII also declared that defamation of accused in media before proven guilty is also against the Islamic teaching and human dignity.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday after the CII meeting, its Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz said the NAB should restrain from handcuffing of accused. “The CII in its meeting constituted a committee with the chair of Justice (retd) Raza Khan to examine the NAB ordinance in the light of Islamic laws and would reexamine the clauses of the NAB ordinance, which are against the Islamic laws,” he said.

The CII chairman said that it was clearly settled in the Constitution that no law could be enacted in the country which was against the Islamic laws. “The Council of Islamic Ideology passed the resolution in this regard as such incidents of handcuffing by NAB increased,” he said.

In reply to a question regarding the complaints of discrimination by the NAB, he said the committee would examine each and every clause of the NAB ordinance. He said that the CII has also serious concerns over display of banners by participants of the Women’s March on March 8.

He further said they have severe reservations over the recently-held Aurat March in the country. He said the banners displayed on the Women’s Day in function held at Frere Hall were against the spirit of Islamic conjuctions.

Dr Qibla Ayaz said the CII feels that the articles from 228 to article 231 were directly related to the council to formulate its recommendations to turn individual and collective lives of Muslims as per Islamic ideology.

He said the CII held a meeting with President Dr Arif Alvi in the President House on April 3 in which it was decided to get support of Ulema and religious scholars on issues of creating awareness about environmental protection, forestry promotion, wastage of water and also to introduce legislation for the ownership of women in inheritance.

He said the convention will be arranged in the Presidency jointly organised by the CII, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Climate Change. He said the CII and Ministry of Human Rights will jointly draft the legislation for the women rights in inheritance. In reply to a question with regard to handcuffing of accused by the police, the CII chairman said it was also illegal but if there were threats from the accused, he could be handcuffed.

In reply to a question regarding forced conversions to Islam, the CII chairman said that the matter is before the Islamabad High Court and the council will wait for its verdict in this regard. ‘However, forced conversion is not allowed,” he said.

In reply to another question with regard to making Pakistan on the pattern of ‘State of Madina’, the CII chairman said the initial work has been started and the council formed a working group adding that the CII also proposed to the government to form the task force in this regard.

In reply to yet another question with regard to permission of alcohol in the name of minorities, Dr Qibla Ayaz said that the opinion from minorities was sought in this regard.

The CII chairman said that the CII meeting strongly condemned the attack on Maulana Taqi Usmani and the murder of college professor in Bahawalpur. He expressed concerns over attacks on Christchurch mosques and paid tribute to the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for her insight.