Scrap the ‘anti-women’ CII, demands Sindh

Karachi: The lawmakers of Sindh have unanimously demanded doing away with the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a constitutional advisory body formed during military ruler Gen Ziaul Haq’s era, for its recent “regressive” and “anti-women” recommendations.

During the provincial legislature’s proceedings on Monday, Pakistan Muslim League- Functional MPA Mehtab Akbar Rashdi moved a resolution demanding that the federal government dissolve the CII as the advisory body’s recommendations showed utter disregard for women rights and complicated matters instead of finding solutions to problems.

The CII, which is responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues, recently drew flak from various quarters for declaring laws prohibiting underage marriage and the Women’s Protection Act of 2006 un-Islamic. It had also decreed seeking consent from the first wife for a second marriage un-Islamic and DNA tests unacceptable as primary evidence in rape cases.

Setting their political differences aside, all political parties in the House supported the resolution.The parliamentary leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf delivered speeches to express their parties’ commitment towards women’s rights and resentment for the CII’s recommendations.