Ulema’s Constitution

Former president Asif Ali Zardari and PPP patron-in-chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari offer Fateha during public gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on Friday, December 27, 2013. – PPI Photo

The Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilal Bhutto Zardari (son of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari) delivered a speech that Pakistani-Christian journalist Shamim Masih believes the Zardari remarks pertaining to minorities – especially Christians – was a mere political ploy. I am unsure to which speech or written text Shamim is referring to. Bilal (or Bilwal) Bhutto Zardari gave what was considered a pivotal speech at Garhi Khuda Bux pertaining to the current political party in government and that the Pakistan government should not tolerate the terrorism of the Taliban. The reason for the speech was in honor of his assassinated mother Benazir Bhutto. In the few English language stories I read about this speech I did not detect any indications of intentions toward Pakistani minorities. However I did discover a small blurb about how Bilwal’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has come up with the funding to restore the All Saints Church in Peshawar which was victimized recently by two Taliban homicidal suicide bombers. My guess is this is the possible event causing mistrust by Shamim Masih.

 

UPDATE – 1/1/14

 

Shamim updated his post by sending a tweet image capture pertaining to the reason why he mistrusts a statement of Bilwal Bhutto Zardari.

 

JRH 12/31/13

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Ulema’s Constitution

 

By Shamim Masih

Sent: 12/31/2013 2:42 AM

 

ISLAMABAD: Throughout the Christmas celebration, 2013 Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilwal Bhutto Zardari [Zardari bio] claimed that [he] wanted to see some sort of Christian Prime Minister in Pakistan within my lifetime. He greeted ‘Merry Christmas’ to every Christian worldwide and particularly to Pakistani Christian believers. With his statement, the roars connected with Pakistani non-secular politicians raise at the same time the other people. Although I realize it's mentioned inside the constitution in the country that a non-Muslim cannot be the president or Prime Minister in Pakistan. But there are some certain facts I am providing how [the] section of the constitution [came to be] that the President and the Prime Minister in Pakistan need to be a Muslim.

 

Pakistan came into being in 1947 under section 8 in the Indian Independence Act, 1947, the Govt. India act, 1935. And after nine years the initial document had been served as Constitution 1956. For once, the composition of Pakistan provided definition of a Muslim which often states; Muslim means someone who believes inside unity and also oneness of Allah, inside absolute and also unqualified finality in the prophet cover of Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and won't believe within, or recognize being a prophet or maybe religious reformer, any person who claimed or maybe claims as a prophet, in a sense in the word or maybe of just about any description whatsoever, after Muhammad.

 

It had been mentioned for once that simply a Muslim may very well be qualified pertaining to election as President (male or maybe female). There was no reduction of religion for the person holding any office of the speaker in the National Assembly. Secondly, should the president resign his [Office] or a vote of no-confidence goes against him or her, then in line with the constitution the actual speaker would become the actual President in the State until the election in a new president. Under the actual special circumstances, a non-Muslim could easily get the opportunity to [ascend] to president of Pakistan. [There are] no restrictions about religion or maybe gender on any post, up to provincial governor and also chief minister. The quality presented through first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan [Blog Editor: Biography] and the resolution had been debated pertaining to five days. The leading members in the government and quite a few non-Muslim associates, especially from East Bengal [Blog Editor: East Bengal became East Pakistan of the Republic of Pakistan with the Capital City located in West Pakistan. Between West and East Pakistan lay the large expanse of newly Independent India. East Pakistan became the independent Bangladesh in 1971.], got a prominent part. Non-Muslim associates expressed grave apprehensions regarding their situation and the role inside new coverage. Hindu members in the constitutional set-up argued that the objective quality differed having Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s view in all of the fundamental points. Sris Chandra Chattopadhyaya claimed, what we hear in this particular (Objectives) Resolution seriously isn't the voice in the great originator of Pakistan: the Quaid-i-Azam [Blog Editor: an honorific of Mohammed Ali Jinnah], nor actually that in the Prime Minister connected with Pakistan the actual Honorable Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, but in the Ulema in the land.

 

Birat Chandra Mandal expressed that Jinnah had "unequivocally claimed that Pakistan would have been a secular condition." Bhupendra Kumar Datta proceeded to go a stage further: “inch... was that resolution into the future before that house from the life-time in the Great Founder of Pakistan, the actual Quaid-i-Azam, it would not attend in the present shape...." Even so, Muslim scholars along with a large portion of the folks of Pakistan were in the view that was just what exactly the Quaid-a-Azam wanted [i.e. a secular Pakistan] and that it was an excellent a step forward inside constitutional heritage of Pakistan. They in addition argued that [a secular Pakistan] objective quality [would have] provided the actual minorities to have equal rights and that they [would have] simply no compulsion, whatsoever, in taking on or transforming into Islam.

 

In October 1958, President Iskander Mirza abrogated the actual constitution. Soon afterwards Ayub Khan deposed Iskandar and also declared himself President.

 

Then the constitution drafted with the government connected with Z A. Bhutto, with the additional assistance of the country’s competing parties, it turned out to be approved with the legislative set-up on April 10 and also ratified on 14 August 1973. Unlike the prior legal papers of 1956 and also 1962, the 1973 constitution cannot be changed. Alternatively, constitutional efficiencies are added to it, altering its impact. He [i.e. Bhutto (?)] added that a Muslim could simply end up being the President or maybe the Prime Minister in Pakistan. No legislation repugnant to Islam should be enacted and the present legislation shall in addition be Islamized. No restriction about religion or maybe gender on any post, up to provincial governor and also Chief Minister.

 

The Amendment (w.e.f. 1974) in the 1973 Composition declared for once the Ahmadiyya Community or the actual Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement to the Propagation connected with Islam (Lahoris) as non-Muslims, and also their leader, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to become a prophet connected with God, to which often mainstream Muslims tend not to agree having.

 

This had been Mr. Z A. Bhutto himself who placed inside the constitution that [both the] president [and] Prime Minister [can only] be a Muslim. [There were] no restrictions about religion or maybe gender on any post, up to provincial governor and also chief minister. In this Islamic atmosphere neither Christian nor any minority member can be able to become the provincial governor or maybe chief minister.

 

Internationally everyone is turning to interfaith dialogue and agreeing to other faiths but [the government] should not impose this rigid Islamic Jihadist [ideology on non-Muslim Pakistani minorities in political representation]. This is simply not constitution connected [originally by the Founders] with Pakistan, but [it is the] constitution connected with Mullahs. Precisely how [does the] young Bilawal Bhutto Zardari think [the Islamic centered constitution could include the possibility of non-Muslims to attain the high Office of President or Prime Minister]? This is merely a way to [gain the] sympathies of Christians [politically and this is] just [the only reason for such public remarks]. 

 

Be Blessed,

Shamim Masih

________________________________

Edited by John R. Houk

All brackets and links are from the Editor with the hope greater clarity exists for American readers.

 

© Shamim Masih

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Shamim Masih’s Donate/Support info:

 

Editor: For Americans especially, I have discovered the best way to donate to Shamim Masih is via Western Union sending to a Western Union agent in Islamabad.

 

FOR USD TRANSFER.
Intermediary Bank:                         MASHREQ BANK, NEW YORK
Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQUS33
Beneficiary Bank:                         JS BANK LIMITED
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         70008227
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
Beneficiary Account Number:                 405527

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IBAN #                                        pk80jsbl9530000000405227


FOR GBP TRANSFER.
Intermediary Bank:                         MASHREQ BANK, LONDON
Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQGB2L
Beneficiary Bank:                         JS BANK LIMITED
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         00010855
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
Beneficiary Account Number:                 405527
IBAN #                                        pk80jsbl9530000000405227



FOR EURO TRANSFER.
Intermediary Bank:                         MASHREQ BANK, LONDON
Intermediary Bank SWIFT BIC:         MSHQGB2L
Beneficiary Bank:                         JS BANK LIMITED
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT BIC:                 JSBLPKKA
Bank A/c # at Intermediary bank:         10847
Title Of a/c                                Shamim Masih
Beneficiary Account Number:                 405527
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