Handcuffing accused persons by NAB against Shariah: CII

ISLAMABAD: The Council Of Islamic Ideology (CII) has declared handcuffing accused persons by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials as a move against Islam and Shariah laws, ARY News reported on Thursday.

A resolution was passed by the council, declaring manacling persons by the anti-corruption watchdog.

CII stated in the resolution that the act also came under violation of the Pakistani Constitution.

NAB was asked to refrain from the act of handcuffing citizens is like disrespecting humanity and an inhumane step.

It is pertinent to mention here many politicians and political parties complained that self-respect was undermined by disrespectful behaviour by NAB officials during the investigation.

The NAB had also faced severe criticism on social media platforms when reports emerged regarding arrests of Director Archaeology and Museums, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Dr Abdus Samad and production of Dr Shahid Masood, a renowned news anchor, to the court while being handcuffed.

The two cases sparked debates on the social media platforms for disgracing the prominent personalities through such actions carried out by the NAB officials.

Earlier on November 29, a meeting of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had urged the government to enhance punishments for those misusing their authority to issue religious fatwas.

The council had prepared a comprehensive document, Paigham-i-Pakistan, in January this year that had been acknowledged by senior scholars of the all four mainstream schools of thought in the country, the CII meeting, which was chaired by its chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz, said.

The landmark document from the religious body signed by 1829 religious scholars across the country, declared several actions as un-Islamic including suicide attacks, spreading sectarianism and anarchy in the name of religion etc.

Dr Ayaz said that to enforce recommendations of the CII is the responsibility of the government. He said, “we want severe punishments for those clerics who misuse their powers and issue decrees declaring a Muslim non-believer and pronounce him liable to be killed as per Sharia law.” He said all such decrees have been rejected by the CII.

The council suspended its agenda regarding triple talaq [divorce] in one sitting. The issue was on the agenda of the meeting and the CII will take up the matter in its next meeting.