By Rehan Khan
ISLAMABAD, May 27 (APP): The 242nd meeting of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Dr. Allama Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, where a range of significant religious, legal, and social matters were discussed, and key recommendations were formulated.
One of the primary issues deliberated was the suggestion from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony regarding mandatory thalassemia testing prior to marriage. The Council recommended that while testing should not be made compulsory, public awareness campaigns should be prioritized. CII maintained that, in accordance with Islamic teachings, the sanctity and simplicity of the marriage contract must be preserved without unnecessary legal complications.
The Council also expressed concern over the irresponsible media reporting of judicial decisions. This concern stemmed from recent misreporting of a Lahore High Court ruling on judicial Khula (divorce), which the Council viewed as misleading and damaging to public understanding of legal matters.
On the issue of dowry, the Council reiterated that coercing the bride’s family to provide dowry or the groom’s family demanding it is un-Islamic. It urged parents to make marriage decisions based solely on Islamic principles, free from societal pressure and harmful traditions.
Responding to a query from the Attorney General of Pakistan regarding married women’s domiciles, the Council stated that women should have the right to either retain their pre-marital domicile or adopt their husband’s domicile after marriage. It also recommended amendments to Sections 15 and 16 of the inheritance law to protect women’s legal rights in this context.
A special committee was constituted to evaluate and propose reforms to make the Auqaf Department more efficient and effective in its administrative structure and services.
The Council reviewed amendments proposed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to Section 7 of the Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025. Furthermore, a dedicated committee comprising Council members was formed to draft a comprehensive Islamic family law.
The Council reviewed two controversial child marriage-related bills – the “Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2025” submitted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and another by MNA Sharmila Faruqi – and declared both inconsistent with Islamic injunctions. CII opposed setting a fixed minimum age for marriage, categorizing underage marriages as child abuse, and prescribing criminal penalties, stating such provisions contradict Shariah. However, the Council did acknowledge the social harms associated with child marriage and emphasized discouraging the practice. It clarified that neither of these bills had been officially referred to the Council by the Parliament or Senate for review.
The meeting also considered queries sent by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), particularly those concerning modaraba, housing schemes, and other investment-related issues.
In response to a reference from the Lahore High Court regarding post-divorce financial obligations, the Council ruled that a husband is not Islamically obligated to provide financial support to a divorced wife after her iddah (waiting period). The Council also rejected the concept of “matrimonial property” as inconsistent with Islamic jurisprudence.