ISLAMABAD, March 27: The Council of Islamic Ideology has recommended to the government that the present system of election for women and minorities on special seats, was not in line with Islamic provisions.

The Islamic Council of Ideology, a constitutional body mandated to recommend to the legislature to make laws in conformity with the Islamic provisions, has recommended to the present government that the election of minorities and women on special seats was contrary to merit and was “kind of a quota system.”

Coming hard on recently elected women parliamentarians, the CII termed them as representatives of the urbanised “elite class” who believe in western concept of gender equality and in Islamic concept of “gender equity.”

It said that women MNAs being representatives of the urban and elite class were not conversant with problems of women in villages who are exposed to the worst kind of exploitation and injustice.

The CII, in its 150th meeting, took suo motu notice of the matter and gave its finding which has been sent to the federal government through the Ministry of Law and Justice on March 21, 2003.

The CII, in its finding, said that the method of election of women and minorities was contrary to Islamic principle of merit and it only empowered the party heads to get the women and members from minority of their own choice elected.

The CII said that minorities who were demanding restoration of joint electorate, should stick to their demand of joint electorate and they should not demand special seats. The CII, however, said that if special seats for minorities were required, then the president should nominate a few prominent members from the minority community.

It said that election of the women and minority members by the MNAs was contrary to the principle of secret ballot.

The council which is in existence from 1973, has been submitting its reports to parliament but hardly any of its recommendation was accepted by the legislature.

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, a new political force, has been promising that it would implement recommendations of the CII after coming into power. The alliance of religious parties, which succeeded in forming its government in the NWFP and a coalition government in Balochistan, has been talking of the CII report but so far nothing has been done.

The CII in its final report stated that careful scrutiny of existing laws had revealed that a large number of federal and provincial laws were not contrary to the any Nass (express injunction of the Holy Quran and Sunnah of the holy Prophet).

It said that a great number of the existing laws needed no amendment from the Shariat point of view.

If recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology are introduced hand-cuffing the accused or convicts would be banned in the country.