HAROON JANJUA
ISLAMABAD - Holding the Council of Islamic Ideology responsible for the rising honour killing cases in the country, Senate committee on human rights yesterday recommended the dissolution of the body, urging the government to ban the practices of Qisas and Diyat laws in honour killing cases.
The CII is the constitutional body that forwards recommendations to the legislature about the laws repulsive to Islam, in the light of the Quran and Sunnah.
The Senate committee recommendations came just after a month when “lightly beating” of wives was declared legitimate in Islam by the CII, in the wake of ruling out the Women Protection Bill.
In Yesterday’s meeting, the committee found that CII had authorised violence against women, largely increasing crimes against them.
The committee chairperson, Senator Nasreen Jalil, told the committee that the CII’s recommendations promoted the negative attitude towards women and sparked violence against them.
The body’s recommendations only created problems and miseries for women instead of providing any relief to them, Senator Nasreen said. She opined the CII members were unaware of legislation in the modern era.
Jalil also said the CII recommendation allowing a husband to beat his wife was senseless. He added honour killing cases had made women secondary citizens. “Rejecting DNA tests as evidence in rape cases shows the backwardness of the members of the council,” she said.
Senator Sitara Ayaz said, “The real teachings of Islam regarding women issues should be followed. We have to resolve the issue by consulting the religious bodies.”
PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar demanded disbandment of CII, calling for withdrawal of Rs 100 million funds allocated to the body.
“There is no reason for the Council of Islamic Ideology to continue its job and it should not send more reports to the Parliament for legislation,” Farhatullah Babar said in his speech on the budget.
He also criticised the council’s suggestion to the people to write ‘Kalima Tayyaba’ at their homes to promote the culture of jihad.
“With so many controversies, CII should not continue its job,” he said, adding it had also declared the minimum age of girls’ marriages as un-Islamic. “The budget allocated for the council should be given to National Commission for Protection of Women,” the senator proposed.
The Senate committee decided to write a letter to the Law Ministry to ascertain the constitutional position of the council. The committee, in its recommendations, asked the government to declare killings in the name of honour a non-compoundable offence.
Last month, CII presented its proposed model women protection bill, allowing a husband to lightly beat his wife if needed. CII also disallowed co-education in schools as well as mixing of males and females in offices and hospitals.
The CII’s proposed bill stated that women would have all rights given to them under Shariah law, proscribing communication with na-mehrams (unrelated) at offices and banning all kinds of music and dance in the name of art.