Religious parties warn of movement against bill on conversions

LAHORE: Nearly 50 religious parties have warned of a countrywide movement against the tabling and passage of a controversial legislation in Sindh Assembly that aims to prevent minorities from converting to Islam.

The All Parties Conference for consultation against the controversial bill tabled by Nand Kumar Goklani of PML-Functional, has warned of a movement like Nizam-e-Mustafa movement of ’77, saying that the legislation was a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan, fundamental rights and part of conspiracies to secularise Pakistan and denude it of its Islamic character. Besides, embracing any religion is the fundamental religious freedom enjoyed by every citizen of the world under UN charter.

The conference, chaired by Pir Mian Abdul Khaliq, custodian of Bharchundi Sharif shrine, while presided over by Milli Yakjehti Council and JUP-Noorani president Dr Abul Khair Zubair, was held for consultation over the moves by Sindh government to re-legislate the bill which was earlier passed by the assembly two years ago but was withdrawn by the PPP government after threats of protest movement by religious parties. The bill mandated minority members intending to become Muslims must satisfy a court of law or a committee of top bureaucrats about the reasons of conversion. The permission to become Muslim would be subjected to the permission of the special court or committee.

Pir Abdul Khaliq said the controversial legislation would become a serious hurdle to spread of Islam since it would be used by non-Muslim countries as a precedent to prevent conversions to Islam. The conference was addressed by a number of religious elders, custodians of shrines and religious scholars from across the country, including Pir Irfan Mashhadi, JI naib ameer Liaqat Baloch, Sunni Ittehad Council chairman Hamid Raza, Dr Raghib Naeemi, JUI-S secretary general Abdul Rauf Farooqi, Pir Sultan Qadri, Allama Zaheer Rashedi, custodian of Alipur Saidan Pir Munawwar Shah Jamati, Pir Mehfooz Mashhadi, Maulana Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Dr Farid Paracha, PTI Mashaikh Wing Head Habib Irfani, Mithankot custodian Moeenuddin Koraja, Ahle Hadith leaders Abdul Wahab Rupari, Islami Jamhoori Ittehad leader Allama Zubair Ahmad Zaheer, Qari Zawwar Bahadur, Tehrik Istaqlala president Rehmat Khan Wardag, TNRM president Razaul Mustafa Naqshbandi and others.