Islamabad: The Senate has unanimously passed a bill aimed at preventing the insulting of the Companions, Ahl al-Bayt, and Mothers of the Faithful. The bill had been pending for six months and was presented by Senator Abdul Kareem, an independent member, who urged the House to approve it without delay.
During the meeting presided over by Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed highlighted the increasing insults directed towards the revered figures on social media. He emphasized that the legal commission for blasphemy provided evidence of these insults and called for immediate action to stop them. Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan referred to the unanimous approval of a similar bill in the National Assembly, urging for a similar consensus in the Senate.
JUI Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari argued that since the Qur’an praises the Companions and Ahl al-Bayt, it is essential to legislate to prevent their insults. He emphasized that just as there are punishments for insulting Prophets, there should also be appropriate penalties for insulting the Companions and Ahl al-Bayt. Though he acknowledged that the proposed punishment of three years seemed insufficient, he still supported the bill’s intent.
Senator Pir Sabir Shah paid tribute to those who presented the bill and praised the esteemed stature of Hazrat Hasnain. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Senator Talha Mehmood expressed government support for the bill’s approval.
While PML-N Senator Sajid Mir also supported the bill, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman suggested sending it to the committee for review as they had not yet thoroughly examined it. However, Senator Kamil Ali Aung countered that the committee would not need to review the bill.
In response to Sherry Rehman’s objection, Senator Hafiz Abdul Kareem urged against further delays, emphasizing that the bill had already been pending for six months.
Chairman Senator Sadiq Sanjrani announced the approval of the bill for the prevention of insulting the Companions, Ahl al-Bayt, and Mothers of the Faithful, with support from the Minister of Religious Affairs, thus concluding the Senate’s decision.
