Staff Reporter
Islamabad
National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice Thursday directed the establishment division to ensure proper implementation of its circular of granting proper time for offering obligatory prayers during office hours. The meeting of the Committee chaired by Riaz Fityana directed the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony to consider the legislation to address the object of the bill specifically in private organizations and institutions.
The committee threadbare discussed the bill and was of the opinion that there was no need to amend the Constitution for making prayers break obligatory in offices and only legislation would be suffice in this regard. The bill was aimed at including a clause enabling Muslims to offer obligatory prayers during working hours in public and private offices. The committee was unanimous that Article 31 (1) of the constitution provides for the issue, permission to offer Namaz during office hours is already provided for and does not require a constitutional amendment.
The Committee after detail deliberations, recommended that the Fahim Khan’s Bill might not be passed by the Assembly. The Committee reconsidered the Bills“The Federal Ombudsmen Institutional Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Section 22) The Recognition and Enforcement (Arbitration Agreements and Foreign Arbitral Awards) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Section 9) and The Defamation (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Section 16) (Moved by Syed Fakhar Imam, MNA;”after detail deliberations the Committee deferred the same till its next meeting.
The Committee considered the Bill “The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (Article 25) (Moved by Dr. Nafisa Shah, MNA)”after detail deliberations, the Committee deferred the same till next meeting.
