ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has appointed four Islamic scholars as amicus curie and sought their assistance on six questions regarding the identification of non-Muslims.

IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui during Wednesday’s hearing of a petition filed on the identification of non-Muslims in government, semi-government and autonomous organisations who have not identified themselves as non-Muslim, posed six questions to the amicus curie.

Amicus Curie, which is Latin for ‘friend of the court’, is a person of group who is not a party to an action but has a strong interest in the matter.

The court has appointed Prof Dr Hafiz Hassan Madni from Punjab University, former Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) member Dr Mohsin Naqvi, CII member Prof Dr Sahbzada Sajidur Rehman and Mufti Mohammad Hussain Khalil Khel.

The questions are: ‘Whether an Islamic state could evolve a law to determine identity of Muslims and non-Muslims’, ‘Whether non-Muslims should be allowed to introduce themselves Muslims’, ‘Whether such concealment falls into the ambit of fraud’, ‘What is the responsibility of the state in such a situation”, and ‘Whether it is a violation of fundamental rights if the state inquires about the religion or religious beliefs of citizens’.

The court asked the registrar’s office to inform the aforementioned scholars and sent a copy of the writ petition and responses submitted so far.

The court also directed that the scholars be requested for their availability from Feb 26 onwards.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2018