ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) met on Thursday and expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, as well as international conflicts involving Middle Eastern countries.
In a meeting presided over by CII Chairman Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, the members discussed terrorism in Pakistan and various legal and national issues, including licences for religious TV networks.
During the meeting, the council expressed concern about shipping lines and maritime traffic due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran war. The CII members also mentioned the Houthis in a veiled criticism of their intervention in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.
However, the majority decided not to name a brotherly Muslim country in the minutes of the meeting. It may be noted that Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis have been engaged in a fierce conflict for weeks, with the latter closing the crucial waterway.
Council supports licences for ‘religious TV channels’; slams attacks on ships using Bab al-Mandeb
According to a statement, the council expressed regret over the death of three Pakistanis as a result of attacks by Somali pirates on the high seas and offered prayers for the departed souls.
The meeting also approved ringtone messages related to respect for flags and banners used during Muharram. The public service messages to be approved by the telecom regulator would be audible to callers during the month of Muharram, highlighting the sanctity of the month.
Licences for channels
The council said religious channels should also be issued licences like other channels, not just NOCs, and that laws and rules should be amended accordingly. Currently, there is no category of “religious channels” with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).
However, a senior official of Pemra told Dawn that religious channels were not allowed as it could lead to an uneasy situation. Sect-specific channels could provoke sectarianism in the country, the official said, adding that if non-Muslim communities wanted to have their satellite channels under any such policy, this could invite resentment from Muslim clerics.
In the wake of the Federal Shariat Court’s decision on the abolition of ‘chaddar and parchi’, the council declared that a special inheritance tribunal should be established to dispose of cases quickly related to women’s property and inheritance.
In March 2025, the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) said that the cultural and tribal customs of ‘Chaddar’ and ‘Parchi’, which are used to pressure or force women into giving up their ancestral inheritance were un-Islamic and illegal. The council also appreciated the “Muslim Family Laws (Father’s Maintenance) Amendment Bill 2026” presented by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri.
The meeting also considered the Shariah status of the application of Article 120 of the Limitations Act 1908 in the matter of recovery of maintenance of children and wives for the past period. The council declared that the rights do not expire even after the time limit for hearing has passed.
The CII lauded the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the death sentence of Qaiser Ayub in a blasphemy case, saying that this decision proved that incidents of blasphemy were a reality.
The meeting was attended by Allama Tahir Ashrafi and Dr Intikhab Ahmed Noori, among others.
Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2026