- The Supreme Court seeks assistance from religious institutions, including the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), regarding its Feb 6 judgement in the Mubarak Ahmad Sani case.
- A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, hears the Punjab government’s review petition against the verdict overturning the conviction of Mr Sani on charges of distributing proscribed literature.
- Notices issued to various religious institutions including Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi, Jamia Imdadia Faisalabad, and others to furnish statements on the judgement.
- Other organizations or individuals desiring to give opinions advised to do so in writing before the next hearing.
- The court registers an application by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) to become a party in the case, citing the need for “proper assistance” before reaching a conclusion.
- The Punjab government argues that religious freedom, as per Article 20 of the constitution, is not absolute and subject to law, morality, and public order.
- Mr Sani, the respondent, was accused of distributing literature that could “hurt religious sentiments” under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Punjab Holy Quran Act.
- The trial court framed charges against Mr Sani, which were challenged in the Lahore High Court and later in the Supreme Court, leading to the overturning of the conviction on Feb 6.
SC seeks religious opinion on Feb 6 judgement
