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NA Passes Election Bill Restoring Khatm-e-Nubowat Clause

Islamabad (November 16, 2017): The National Assembly on Thursday has passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2017 to restore Khatm-i-Nabuwwat laws to their original form and make sections relating to it “more effective.”

According to the details, the National Assembly on Thursday unanimously approved revival of the 7-B and 7-C clauses of the Election (Amendment) Act, relating to Khatam-e-Nabuwat in their original forms.

The bill was tabled by Law Minister Zahid Hamid, who assured the house that he and his family “were Muslims and believed in the finality of prophethood”.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal stepped in to support the him, and said that: “In a state, faith and connection to God is a matter between him and God. No person can make a decision on anyone’s faith.”

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“I will ask my brother [Zahid Hamid] that your faith is your personal matter and you do not need to present any clarifications regarding your faith,” he added.

Sections 7B and 7C of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002 were also restored to their original form via the bill.

Section 7B states that the status of Ahmedis remains as stated in the Constitution of Pakistan, while section 7C states that if an enrolled voter’s belief in the finality of Prophet Muhammad’s prophethood is contended, they shall have to sign a declaration reaffirming their belief, failing which their “name shall be deleted from the joint electoral rolls and added to a supplementary list of voters in the same electoral area as non-Muslim.”

During address, the law minister said that before 2002 general elections, seats were increased and collective polls were approved. He clarified that the same status of Ahmadiyya and Lahori groups will be retained as in Constitution.He told his only concern was that to remove the 10-day limit to submit the declaration of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat, adding that the bill restored the clause in its original form. He said that both declaration have been made part of election act.

“I firmly believe in Khatm-e-Nubuwwat (finality of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and can’t even think against it,” he cleared, stressing that he was wrongly quoted in the matter. He told that he had to issue a video message for his constituency. He also said, “I and my family are ready to sacrifice our lives for the sanctity of Prophet (PBUH).”

He demanded of revealing the name of those who were responsible for the mistake, adding that no compromise can be made in the matter. He said that he recommendations of committee chaired by Raja Zafar-ul-Haq should be put forward in the assembly.

Hamid said that the new, amended bill will make the said sections more effective, adding that a separate voters list shall be created for Ahmadis as they will not be included in the list for Muslims.While Zahid Hamid was clarifying his stance on the serious concern, Sheikh Rasheed chanted slogans against the government at which Speaker Ayaz Sadiq turned off his microphone. “We have not asked Law Minister Zahid Hamid to clarify the matter,” said Sheikh Rasheed.

The Khatm-i-Nabuwat declaration has also been restored to original form in both English and Urdu, he assured.

The Elections Act 2017 — which paved the way for Nawaz Sharif to return as PML-N president — had become a cause of controversy when it was revealed that a declaration regarding the finality of prophethood had been modified somewhere during the process of its passage.

Earlier, Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered the religious parties staging sit-in at Faizabad for the last 10 days to end their sit-in protest. 

A single member bench of IHC headed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui heard an application of Tahreek-e-Labbayek Ya Rasool-ul-llah seeking the court order to the government to made public the report of a committee headed by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq over the altering of oath of lawmakers regarding the Finality of Prophethood.

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Two religious parties have been staging a sit-in at the key route linking Islamabad and Rawalpindi for over a week in protest against the government’s bid to change the finality of Prophethood oath for candidates running for NA or provincial assemblies, which was later reversed.Hearing the petition against the amendments to the clauses related to the finality of Prophethood in the Elections Act, 2017, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui remarked that the petition will be taken up on the condition of ending the sit-in.He directed the petitioner’s counsel to abide by the law and end the sit-in so the public’s miseries can end. The judge observed further that the young, elderly, employees, and students are being adversely affected due to the protest.

Tahreek-e-Labbayek Ya Rasool-ul-llah is one of the parties staging a sit-in at Faizabad.

The judge remarked that he court had already taken notice over the issue and had sought Zafarul Haq-led committee’s report in sealed envelope. When the matter is already in the court then there is no justification of staging a sit-in, the judge remarked.He further remarked that even if a good work was done through bad means then it is wrong.

The judge directed the counsel of to abide by law and end the sit-in. The judge also directed the petitioners to tender apology over what was uttered against the Chief Justice of Pakistan by the sit-inners.

The court adjourned further hearing of the petition till November 29, 2017.

Related News: 

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No one Can Even Think Change in Khatm-e-Nabuwat Laws: Ahsan