The Senate's Standing Committee on Law on Monday shelved
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Senator Azam Swati's proposed legislation that
would have changed an oath taken by non-Muslim members of parliament
upon being sworn in.
Swati had tabled the bill to modify
Article 255 of the Constitution in order to amend the oath administered
to non-Muslim members of the parliament.
His bill sought to omit the tasmia (beginning the oath in the name of Allah) from non-Muslim parliamentarians' oaths.
"We cannot ask non-Muslim members of the Parliament to recite the first kalimah," Swati explained while presenting the bill.
The
oath for non-Muslim members should also replace the term 'Ideology of
Islam' with 'Ideology of Pakistan', his bill suggested.
Upon
reading that clause, the head of the committee remarked that "there is
no difference between the ideology of Islam and the ideology of
Pakistan."
"There may be no difference between the two
for us Muslims, but you should ask non-Muslims what the difference is,"
Swati responded.
However, members of the law ministry objected to the bill saying it was touching on what is currently a highly sensitive matter.
"This is a dangerous issue. Let us postpone it for now," the chairman of the committee said in agreement.
