| Religious scholar Dr Javed Ahmed Ghamdi resigned from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday, saying the government had bypassed the constitutional body on the Protection of Women Bill. "I put in my resignation during a council meeting. The chairman of the council and all my colleagues asked me not to resign, but my decision is final and irreversible," Dr Ghamdi told Daily Times. The government formed a separate committee of ulema to review the bill with the stated purpose of ensuring it was in conformity with Islamic injunctions. Dr Ghamdi said this was a breach of the CII's jurisdiction, since the very purpose of the council is to ensure that Pakistan's laws do not conflict with the teachings of Islam. |