Islamabad High Court Maintains Stay Order on CII Opinion Declaring Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza Guilty of Blasphemy
Islamabad (Hayat News) — The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has upheld its stay order on the Council of Islamic Ideology’s (CII) opinion that labeled Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza as guilty of blasphemy.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani emphasized that the court is not suspending the constitutional authority of the CII. He directed the Attorney General to appear before the court and present the state’s official stance, noting that the matter carries significant importance. “We want to see how the state interprets this issue,” he remarked.
Justice Kayani questioned the process used by the CII, noting that the council is authorized to send its opinions to the President, Governor, or Parliament. “The council’s rules only mention forwarding opinions to Parliament,” he said. “So how was this matter conveyed to an SHO?”
Responding to the query, the CII’s lawyer informed the court that all of the council’s opinions are routinely sent to Parliament, regardless of their nature.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that the CII had acted beyond its mandate and was attempting to justify its relevance through such actions.
During the proceedings, the CII representative also informed the court that the council currently has no chairman. Justice Kayani questioned whether the court should issue an order directing the appointment of a chairman, remarking: “If there is no chairman, then you should work toward appointing one.”
After hearing the arguments, the court decided to maintain the stay order on the CII’s opinion regarding Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza and adjourned further proceedings until after the winter break.
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