Islamabad High Court Tuesday directed Deputy Attorney General (DAG) to file data of Qadianis from 1947 till the last census. A single-member bench of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui directed this while hearing a petition regarding amendment to the oath of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat in the Election Act 2017.
During the hearing, DAG Arshad Mehmood Kiani on behalf of the Senate Secretariat produced the record of the proceedings in which the Election Act 2017 was passed. He, however, failed to file the record of National Assembly and sought time till Wednesday (today). The FIA also sought time till Wednesday to file a report about the travel history of 6,000 persons who obtained fresh passports after change in their religion from Muslim to Qadiani.
Justice Siddiqui observed that the details about senators who attended the 267th session on September 22, 2017 are not available in the record that has been submitted. The bench directed the DAG to contact secretary Senate and ask him to provide the missing details.
In the last hearing [March 5], the IHC bench directed federal government to provide information when and by whom decision to enact the Election Act 2017 was taken. Who did prepare the draft bill and the particulars of the committee consisting parliamentarians/ experts/secretaries, etc, and who did accord approval to the draft bill?
He added on which date the Cabinet assented the bill for presentation in the National Assembly and on which date same was tabled before the National Assembly; whether or not some deliberations were carried out on the bill and total number of members of National Assembly in attendance on the date when the bill was tabled, and the number of MNAs who voted for and against the bill.
The IHC bench continued whether any amendment was proposed in the draft bill before both Houses and if so, by whom and as to whether amendment proposed was carried out or not. It asked that particulars of members who favored the amendment and those who opposed it. What the result of proposed amendments was. The bench further asked about the dates on which final amendment introduced and approved by the Parliament.
Justice Siddiqui directed the secretaries of National Assembly and Senate to cooperate with the deputy attorney general and also provide extracts of proceedings mentioned above of both the Houses in sealed envelopes for the perusal of court in chamber.
The IHC bench has directed the petitioner Maulana Allah Wasaya to remain present in the court on Wednesday as the court would like to ask certain questions from him. So far, seven religious scholars have rendered their assistance in this matter as amicus curiae (friends of the court / assistance) including Professor Dr Hafiz Hassan Madni, Institute of Islamic Studies, University of Punjab Lahore, Dr Mohsin Naqvi, ex-member Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Professor Dr Sahibzada Sajidur Rehman. member CII, Mufti Muhammad Hussain Khalil Khel from Karachi, Akram Sheikh Advocate, Dr Aslam Khaki and Babar Awan Advocates. Almost, all the scholars submitted before the court that concealing real faith is a crime, cheating and fraud with the state.