CII to be reconstituted by end of February: Senate told

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan Tuesday told the Senate that the reconstitution of Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) would be completed by the end of February.

He was responding to a Calling Attention Notice of Senator Sirajul Haq who drew attention of the house towards the inactiveness of the council due to retirement of its chairman and vacant seats of members since November 7, 2020.

The minister informed that members of the CII were elected for three years and now the membership of eight ones had expired while remaining 12 to complete their tenures in May.

The process was being followed and the names of new members for the council were being finalized, he said adding the names were being sought from the council, Ministry of Religious Affairs and other forums for the consideration.

The Ministry of Law would reconstitute the 20-member council comprising religious scholars, two senior judges, a woman and learned persons from all schools of thought while final approval of the names would be given by the president, he added.

The minister said as per the Constitution, all laws should be according to the injunctions of Islam.

Ali said the role of CII was to keep an eye on the laws made by parliament and provincial assemblies to ensure that all laws were according to the Quran and Sunnah.

According to the Constitution, sovereignty belonged to Allah Almighty and the state exercised its powers through chosen representatives of the people, he concluded.