ISLAMABAD, March 19: Leader of the House in Senate Wasim Sajjad has stressed the need for institutionalization of the process of Ijtihad to meet the challenges of the present-day complex legal and legislative issues in the light of Islam. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day national seminar on ?Collective Ijtihad: Concept, evolution and practical implementation? here on Saturday.

A number of scholars representing almost all schools of thought from India and Pakistan are participating in the event organized by the Islamic Research Institute (IRI) of the International Islamic University.

Mr Sajjad said Ijtihad played a vital role in the legal development of a Muslim society. The present era, he added, had made individual and collective issues so complex that it had become almost impossible to sort out a solution through individual efforts.

He said Muslims needed fully devoted institutions of Ijtihad to facilitate the process and discover solutions to problems of the rapidly changing world.

Justice (retired) Khalilur Rehman, Rector of the IIU, suggested the establishment of a parliamentary research cell on Shariat to provide information and guidance to parliamentarians on issues related to Islam and Ijtihad.

He said we needed to adopt a well-considered and unified approach to contemporary issues.