DUBAI/ISLAMABAD: Former President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday telephoned Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan, Senator Sirajul Haq.
Asif Ali Zardari apprised Sirajul Haq that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was ready to take back objectionable protection of minorities bill in the Sindh Assembly which imposed restriction of age for embracing Islam for non-Muslims, a press release issued by JI said.
Senator Sirajul Haq welcomed the decision of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), saying that minorities in the country were fully independent to spend lives in accordance with their religions. He added each citizen have equivalent rights to live in Pakistan, anyone belongs to any religion.
It should be mentioned here that PPP-led Sindh government has approved a controversial bill in Sindh Assembly which restricted non-Muslims to embrace religion of Islam until 18 years of age. On November 24, the Sindh Assembly had unanimously adopted Sindh Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill 2015 that was moved by Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F)’s Nand Kumar.
The Controversial bill engrossed wrath of religious parties which termed newly-adopted bill against basic tenets of Islam. The religious parties were of the view that the new law would make it difficult for members of religious minorities to adopt Islam.
They particularly criticised the provision of the law which prescribed the age of 18 as the minimum age for any person to change their religion. Moreover, under the newly passed bill, forcibly converting a minor is also a punishable offence. Adults will be given 21 days to consider their decision to convert.
The leaders of religious parties demanded that the Sindh government should immediately repeal the law and in future refer all such legislation to the Council of Islamic Ideology for vetting so that they were amended in accordance with what they believed were the teachings of Islam.
