ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday formed a four-member committee to suggest measures for the establishment in Pakistan of a state similar to Madina.

The council meeting was presided over by its chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz, who condemned the Sahiwal incident and said the state was responsible for the protection of the life and honour of all citizens.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Dr Ayaz said that members of the committee were Allama Arif Wahidi, Khursheed Nadeem, Dr Farkhanda Zia and Dr Syed Mohammad Anwar.

The CII was approached by Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri on behalf of the government, seeking suggestions and ways to establish governance similar to the state of Madina, in Pakistan.

The committee will present its recommendations to the CII in its next meeting expected in March.

“We have been tasked with devising parameters that the government needs to follow so that a social welfare state can be established,” said Allama Arif Wahidi.

The other key agenda item discussed in the meeting was the government subsidy for Haj travel. The council took up the issue after a query was sought from a private citizen in this regard.

Dr Ayaz said that the council discussed the issue and lauded the state subsidy for the pilgrims.

“It has been ruled unanimously that any subsidy for Haj or any pilgrimage cannot be granted from funds collected in the name of Zakat, Ushr, Khums or Sadqa because the rightful recipients of these funds are the poor and destitute,” the CII chairman added.

The observations have been forwarded to the Ministry of Law and Justice as well as the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The council also discussed the case of Tatheer Fatima, who had claimed in her ID card application to the National Database and Registration Authority that her parentage should be Pakistan as her father had disowned her since childhood. She took the issue to the Supreme Court after Nadra had declined to accept her demand.

The CII members, while expressing sympathy with the complaint, observed that “whatever the case maybe but the name of the offspring must include the name of the biological father”.

They noted that regulations were required in the country regarding inheritance to females. Dr Ayaz said that the CII would devise a draft in this regard as per Sharia in consultation with the Ministry of Human Rights.

The meeting expressed reservations over some clauses of the Punjab Charities Act 2018 on the grounds that they violated Sharia principles and it was decided that the CII would prepare an alternative draft and forward it to the Punjab government.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019