PESHAWAR: A Bill to amend the North-West Frontier Province Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1935, is being introduced in the Provincial Legislature on March 18 by Mr. Abdur Rashid, M.L.A.

In the Statement of the Objects and Reasons of the Bill Mr. Rashid says: “The view taken by some High Courts excludes from inheritance the heir and the representative of a pre-deceased person from the inheritance of the father or the ancestor. This is not in conformity with the spirit of the Islamic law which aims at making provision for all the descendants alike and has the care and maintenance of the weak, e.g., orphans, etc. as its main purpose. To rectify the view taken by the High Courts and to do bare justice to the grandsons and other descendants who are excluded in their entirety from the list of heirs, it is necessary to amend the N.W.F.P Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1935. This is a necessity … and the present Bill is meant to fulfil the public demand ...”

[Meanwhile, as reported from Calcutta,] matters relating to the proposed provision by the Bengal Government of foodstuffs required for offerings to Hindu deities under the Calcutta rationing scheme were discussed on Wednesday…

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2019