HYDERABAD: Deputy Chairman of Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi on Friday opposed the Punjab’s women protection law, saying that it would make women insecure and increase the ratio of divorce in the country.

He was speaking at a meet-the-press programme at the press club here.

He said Islam protected rights of women and called for a respectful status for them in society. But the Punjab’s law could create problems for women, he added.

Maulana Hyderi, who belongs to Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, was of the opinion that those who were trying to make Pakistan a secular state were in fact negating what he called the ideology of Pakistan’s constitution. Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and majority of its population was in favour of making it an Islamic welfare state, he added

He said the constitution had clauses which were in line with Quran and Sunnah and provided guidelines for making laws according to the teachings of Islam. But those who were in favour of secularism and wanted to introduce western values in the country highlighted only those provisions of the constitution which supported their points of views, he said, adding that such elements used different excuses to block legislations which could pave the way for Islamic system in the country.

Stressing the need for implementing the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), the Senate deputy chairman said that the CII was a constitutional body which could play a very important role in improving laws of the country. He regretted that the CII had been rendered ineffective and its recommendations were not given due consideration.

Maulana Hyderi claimed that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah wanted to make Pakistan an Islamic democratic welfare state, adding that those who wanted the country a secular state were misguided people.

He said attributing terrorism to Islam was quite unjustified. Islam was a religion of peace and did not allow terrorism, he added.

He condemned raids on madressahs, saying that whenever there was a bomb explosion or attack in the country religious seminaries were raided and their students were arrested. It was a wrong trend because madressahs were not involved in acts of violence, he added.

Maulana Hyderi said the Zarb-i-Azb military operation had achieved some successes. But, in the same breath he added that military operations could only suppress terrorism, and they could not eliminate it. For eliminating terrorism from the country, he said, there was a need to ensure implementation of the constitution and to reframe the country’s foreign policy.

About the arrest of an alleged RAW agent in Balochistan, he said that there were reports about the presence of other foreign spy agencies’ agents in the country who were involved in acts of violence.

He said conducting population census was a constitutional requirement and very necessary for making right policies for the country.

He condemned attacks on journalists and press clubs during recent protests by religious parties. He said miscreants often took advantage of such situations.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2016