Senate for conforming all laws to Islam

ISLAMABAD: The Senate unanimously passed a resolution drawing the government’s attention towards Article 227 of the Constitution stipulating that all existing laws shall be brought in conformity with the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah and no law repugnant to such injunctions shall be enacted.

The resolution, moved by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, also drew the government’s attention towards Articles 203C and 203F of the Constitution providing for the Federal Shariat Court and Shariat Appellate Bench in the Supreme Court.

Through the resolution, the House showed deep concern over the vacant positions of judges, including Ulema Judges, in the Federal Shariat Court and infrequent meetings of the Shariat Appellate Bench in the Supreme Court causing heavy pendency of important cases.

The House demanded that as per the obligatory constitutional strength, the government should make the Federal Shariat Court and Shariat Appellate Bench in the Supreme Court functional by appointing all judges, including Ulema Judges, in the Federal Shariat Court on immediate basis. Meanwhile, the opposition tasted defeat by the government’s 26 to 18 votes when it pressed for adoption of a resolution concerning the continuation of Ehsaas Undergradute Scholarship Programme.

PTI’s Dr. Sania Nishtar moved the resolution and it was rejected by the House through a voice vote. After announcing the voice vote result, the chair took up the next agenda item. However, interestingly, another PTI Senator Dr. Humayun Mohmand was on his feet to challenge the chair’s ruling, and insisted on headcount.

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani accepted his challenge and went for headcount to find out that 26 senators opposed the resolution while only 18 of the opposition benches supported it.

Through the resolution, Senator Sania wanted continuation of the programme and that the programme should start admitting at least 10,000 new need and merit based entries every year from all over Pakistan.

The resolution demanded that the scholarship programme should be run in the most transparent, apolitical, and rule-based manner covering full tuition fee and maintenance allowance. The House offered Fateha for the people who died in an earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.

Later, the Senate adopted a resolution, which says, “The Senate of Pakistan, reflecting the sentiments of the people of Pakistan, expresses its grief, sympathy and solidarity with the people and government of brotherly Turkiye on the devastating earthquake and the resultant loss of lives and property”.

“Our hearts go out to our affected brethren in Syria and Lebanon, who are also affected by this international tragedy,” it says. The House said, “The people of Pakistan fondly remember that Turkiye was in the forefront, rushing into support the people of Pakistan during our own devastating earthquake of October 2005. We stand with the people of Turkiye in this hour of grief and tragedy. The Senate of Pakistan urges the government and non-government organizations to rush medical and other humanitarian assistance to the affected people of Turkiye. And, we also urge the prime minister to immediately leave for Turkiye with relief goods to demonstrate solidarity with the people and government of Turkiye”.