HARIPUR, Oct 1: Speakers at a seminar said Hudood laws were in direct conflict with the basic teachings of the Holy Quran and they needed to be reviewed and amended by the parliament.

This was the crux of the seminar jointly arranged by the rural development project (RDP), Haripur, and joint action committee (JAC) on Hudood Ordinance, here the other day.

Speaking on the occasion, religious scholar Dr Farooq Khan pointed out six major defects in the Hudood laws and said the Quranic version of all crimes and their punishment defined under Hudood laws was quite different.

He said that for crimes like Zinabil Jabr (rape), Zinabil Raza (adultery), Qazf, theft and use of liquor, the Quran has different definitions according to Hudood priciples.

The scholar quoted several Quranic verses and Hadiths in this regard, adding that those advocating for keeping these laws unchanged and un-amended were in fact wanted to portray the teachings of the Holy Quran as impractical.

About the evidence of rape and Qazf, he said Hudood laws demand four witnesses who fulfill the requirement of Tazkiyahal Shahood- that they are truthful persons and abstain from major sins (guna-hi-kabira). But, he said, the Quran says that after the last prophet (PBUH) no one could be in a position to claim as Tazkiyahal Shahood.

He said that although there were some lacunas in the laws previously applicable before the Hudood laws, but it was evident from the judicial history that none of the culprits of Zinabil Jabr had ever gone unpunished.

Bushra Goher of the JAC termed the Hudood laws black laws, criticized the role of MMA leaders and said human rights organizations had been demanding amendments and review of these laws. She also pinpointed certain flaws in the ordinance.

Ghulam Nabi Tanoli advocate, Shamsul Islam advocate opposed annulment of the Hudood laws and suggested that if there was any flaw, the matter should be referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology and the laws be amended on its recommendation. Saeed Akhtar Khan advocate said that to implement Islamic laws, a socio-economic equilibrium must be established in society.