ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has referred to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) a petition seeking enforcement of Shariah in the country. More importantly, the court has been directed to decide the matter within three months, sources said yesterday.
The petition was filed by a local lawyer, Azam Sultan Puri, last week challenging the IHC’s order in which it had declared that the formulation of a society on the basis of rules laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah cannot be achieved by a single order, judgement or isolated effort of an individual.
Justice Shaukat Siddiqui had also observed that the enforcement of Shariah was a lengthy process that began with the basic level of educating children and character-building of individuals.
“There are several provisions in the Constitution which provide the mechanism for achieving the supremacy of Shariah in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and for this purpose, no direction is necessary,” stated the court order.
After his petition was rejected last year, Sultan Puri challenged the IHC decision in the Supreme Court. Appearing before a two-judge bench of the apex court on March 13, Puri contended that the IHC judge had rejected his petition without hearing his point of view.
He requested the top court to direct the federal government to insert in the Constitution through 9th amendment such provisions that make the Holy Quran and Shariah the supreme law of the land, and all overlapping articles and provisions illegal. INTERNEWS
