NEW DELHI: The Central Assembly today [April 5] rejected Mr. Ahmad Kazmi’s (unattached) Bill for the appointment of persons to the office of Qazi and for performing and keeping a record of marriages amongst Muslims by 13 votes to 5. The Muslim League Party opposed the Bill, while Government and the Nationalist Party remained neutral…

Mr. Kazmi’s Bill about the appointments of Qazis became quite interesting when Sir Mohammad Yamin Khan (Muslim League) opposed it on the ground that the Bill violated the Shariat by fixing fees for the Qazis. This was, he added, a kind of tax, which does not exist in Islamic Law. He also referred to the penalties, which ranged from Rs. 2.5 to Rs. 15 and said it was thoroughly un-Islamic. The Muslim League spokesman also said that today Nikah could be performed by anybody in the presence of two witnesses. But the Bill was restricting this duty to a particular class. Strong objection was taken to the methods of appointment of Qazis through a Committee. Such committees were likely to be dominated by political parties and the very purpose would be defeated when corruption would prevail to secure the appointments of this post of Qazis through election…

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2020