- CII suggests growing most restrict of dowry to 2 tolas of gold.
- Suggests rising marriage bills from Rs2,500 to similar quantity.
- Physique to convene assembly of students, specialists on milk financial institution subject.
ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has instructed tweaks to the Dowry and Bridal Reward Act proposing an enhanced penalty from six months to as much as one-year imprisonment for these discovered violating the legislation, The Information reported on Tuesday.
Throughout its 239th assembly on Monday, the CII additionally really useful growing the utmost restrict of the quantity of dowry from Rs5,000 to 2 tolas of gold together with a hike in bills of marriage from Rs2,500 to the quantity equal to the identical quantity of maintain.
On the adjustments to the household legal guidelines, the physique additional proposed tweaks to the household legal guidelines and instructed declaring the announcement of three divorces in a single sitting a punishable act.
Moreover, the council determined to convene a convention involving well being specialists, spiritual students, and different stakeholders to collect enter concerning Pakistan’s first human milk financial institution, a delicate subject that has sparked appreciable debate throughout the nation.
The CII’s determination comes within the wake of intense criticism from spiritual circles, resulting in the suspension of the milk financial institution, which had been launched in collaboration with Unicef on the Sindh Institute of Little one Well being and Neonatology (SICHN) in Karachi in March this yr.
The assembly, chaired by Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi, deliberated on the problem which had been referred to the council by the Sindh authorities after Ulema raised issues. These issues centred on the Islamic idea of “milk kinship” which stipulates {that a} parental bond is shaped when a girl offers breast milk to a toddler who will not be her organic offspring.
Islamic teachings recommend that this bond might create future problems, significantly concerning incestuous marriages between milk siblings, if not correctly documented.
The Pakistan Pediatric Affiliation (PPA) welcomed the CII’s determination to seek the advice of all of the stakeholders and urged the council to expedite the deliberate convention, emphasising that well timed motion is essential for saving neonatal lives.
The milk financial institution at SICHN, thought of a “vital milestone in maternal well being,” was suspended after Darul Uloom Karachi issued a revised fatwa in June 2024. The up to date fatwa cited spiritual issues and instructed the speedy discontinuation of the financial institution’s operations.
In response, SICHN issued a press release affirming their compliance with the newest spiritual steering, whereas expressing their intent to hunt additional readability from each Darul Uloom and the CII.
Although the deliberate CII convention is seen as a possible manner ahead, no set timeline has been offered. The council members, together with notable Islamic students equivalent to Dr Abdul Ghafoor Rashid and Mufti Muhammad Zubair, pressured the significance of consulting a variety of stakeholders.
They intention to collect insights from well being specialists on the advantages of milk banks for infants, significantly for moms unable to breastfeed, whereas making certain adherence to Islamic ideas.
Human milk banks, or lactariums, acquire, display, and dispense donated human milk, primarily for infants whose moms can’t produce adequate milk. Globally, such banks have been important in decreasing toddler mortality and making certain correct diet for weak infants, particularly in neonatal intensive care models.
Nonetheless, in Muslim-majority international locations, the follow has confronted spiritual scrutiny as a result of milk kinship issues. In Iran, the place a functioning community of milk banks exists, strict guidelines be sure that milk donations are documented to keep away from familial problems.
In Pakistan, the milk financial institution was initially endorsed by a fatwa from Darul Uloom Karachi, permitting the mission to proceed with particular preconditions, equivalent to making certain that Muslim infants would solely obtain milk from Muslim donors.
Nonetheless, the fatwa’s reversal in June led to the suspension of operations, with the Sindh authorities in search of steering from the CII on methods to proceed whereas respecting Islamic ideas.
Whereas human milk banks are lauded by medical specialists for his or her position in toddler care, spiritual issues have slowed their implementation in Muslim-majority international locations. The upcoming CII convention will present a platform for reconciling these viewpoints and figuring out methods to transfer ahead in Pakistan.
The suspension of the nation’s first human milk financial institution has generated vital public curiosity, with many calling for a cautious stability between medical necessity and spiritual compliance.
Specialists argue that breast milk is essential for toddler improvement and immune help, particularly for untimely or medically fragile infants, whereas Ulema stress the necessity for adherence to Islamic ideas.
In the meantime, the CII appreciated Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and the federal government with regard to the issuance of the corrected determination of the Mubarak Sani case.
“The 239th assembly of CII has gone by the corrected detailed determination of the Mubarak Sani case and appreciated the Chief Justice for giving a historic verdict”, learn a press release issued by CII.
The assembly noticed that the federal government additionally deserved appreciation because it filed a petition with the Supreme Court docket for correction of an earlier determination. On the question of the SC with regard to prison enchantment 2017/590, the CII assembly additionally authorised suggestions pertaining to issues of blasphemy and instances with regard to Islamic points.
The huddle additionally authorised proposals for adjustments in some clauses of Household Legal guidelines and Waqf Act 2020. The assembly additionally determined to carry countrywide occasions in reference to the completion of fifty years of firm of CII to spotlight the providers of the council.
The CII members Dr Abdul Ghafoor Rashid, Mohtarama Farida Raheem, Malik Allah Bux Kaliar, Muhammad Jalaluddin, Sahibzada Pir Khalid Sultan Qadari, Justice (R) Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Allama Syed Iftikhar Hussain Naqvi, Mufti Muhammad Zubair, Allama Muhammad Yousaf Awan, Dr Aziz Mahmood Al Azhari, Pir Shamsur Rehman and Dr Mufti Intikhab Noori attended the assembly.
Moreover the assembly, nevertheless, rejected invoice tabled by Advocate Ali Zafar whereby he had proposed that property amassed after marriage can be divided between husband and spouse equally in case of divorce.