Daily Times

Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Monday commended the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on the Transgenders’ Rights Bill, and said that the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) fully supported it.

In an exclusive talk with APP, Ashrafi, who is also the PUC Chairman, expressed the hope that the government would cooperate on the matter taking care of the people and religious community’s sentiments and emotions.

He said that no doubt, transgender community was an oppressed section of the society and they should be provided their due rights without any prejudice and discrimination. He said that if certain elements wanted to legalize homosexuality in the country under the guise of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, they would not be allowed to exploit the situation to meet their hidden agendas.

He categorically stated that no law could be enacted in Pakistan against the divine commands, the Holy Quran and Sunnah, as per the Constitution.

Ashrafi said, “We admit our lack of knowledge and failure regarding the Transgender Act, but it is the responsibility of all the parties present in the Parliament to play their role and raise their voice against the legislation made contrary to the Islamic injunctions and the country’s Constitution.” He said unfortunately, at the time of Transgender Rights Bill’s passage in the Parliament, the people and religious community did not receive any information about it.

He said it was a good omen that the government had given its consent to form a committee for streamlining the shortcomings in the bill in accordance with Sharia’h and the Constitution.

He also emphasized that the government should take the Council of Islamic Ideology members and religious scholars of all schools of thought on board besides parliamentarians keeping in view the sensitivity of the situation as it is the matter of our religion, society, culture, youth and generations to come ahead.

Ashrafi, addressing the Paigham-e-Rehmatul-lil-Alameen conference the other day, highlighted the rights of women and minority communities in Islam.

He said Islam was the protector of human rights and Muslims were responsible for the rights of minorities in the Muslim-majority countries on the globe.

He also announced that Ulema and Mashaykh would stress on the rights of women and minorities in their Friday sermons on October, 7 in the light of the Seerat-e-Mustafa (Peace Be Upon Him).