HARIPUR, Sept 4: Speakers at a seminar on Hasba bill termed the act violative of the state’s constitution and the essence of Islam and the Holy Quran. The Sungi Development Foundation organized on Saturday evening the seminar titled “Hasba Bill: apprehensions and possibilities”.

Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Saeed Akhtar Khan quoted several articles of the constitution and sections of procedural laws. He said the Hasba bill defined laws pertaining to day-to-day affairs that were already part of country’s laws and in practice for the last 58 years in the judicial system of Pakistan.

He said that rules requiring respect for the religion were already in force and punishment for adultery, violence against children and women and indecent activities in public were already in practice.

“But what makes the Hasba bill most controversial are extraordinary powers to district ombudsman who would be a madressah qualified person and no-one could challenge his orders except for the chief minister who would appoint him”, he added.

He also discussed the powers of the federal and district ombudsmen laid down in the Hasba bill pertaining to prayers and fasting, adding that when the Holy Quran did not specify the punishment for a person for not offering prayers, any proposed action on the part of ombudsman would have no justification at all. “The Holy Quran guides us to preach for namaz rather than force people,” he said.

Tahira Abdullah lambasted at the religious parties and said their duplicity had distracted the new generation from their path.

She termed the Hasba bill against the ideology of Islam and asked people to join hands against the elements who were trying to give bad name to Islam the world over and introduce laws that were against the spirit of Islam. She gave examples from the Islamic history on the role of women side by side with men.

MMA’s Ghulam Nabi Tanoli termed the Hasba bill in accordance with the people’s wishes and constitution’s article 142 (C) which empowered the pro-vincial assembly to legislate freely. He Supreme Court’s decision against the Hasba bill was tantamount to bulldozing the constitutional right of the provincial assembly.