November 19, 2008	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 20, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Nov 18: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan and Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi assured the National Assembly on Tuesday that the government would not entertain a reported recommendation by the Council of Islamic Ideology that a divorce would go into effect 90 days after a woman filed a case for separation even if her husband did not respond by that time.

Mr Kazmi noted that the council now had only eight members compared to a full strength of 20 and said the recommendation would be sent back to the council when it attained its full strength.

APP adds: Responding to a point of order raised by PML-N’s Sahibzada Fazal Karim, the minister for religious affairs said that it was not the decision or viewpoint of the government, but a recommendation of the council’s members.

Mr Babar Awan said that the report on the recommendations presented to the president had not been prepared by the coalition government. He assured the house that no law against the injunctions of Islam would be passed.

Minister for Law and Justice Farooq H. Naek said these were only recommendations of the CII and these would become law only if parliament approved them. He said that no law against the Holy Quran and Sunnah would be passed.