Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Allama Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi on Wednesday clarified that the body would take up matter related to the withholding tax in its next meeting.
His remarks came shortly after a press release by the CII declared withholding tax on money transfers and withdrawals to be against Sharia (Islamic law).
Talking to Brackly News, the CII chairman said that the note-taking staff misunderstood that withholding tax had been declared un-Islamic.
“Several members of the council were against withholding tax,” Dr Naeemi added.
He said: “They left the meeting when food was served and the staff thought that withholding tax was declared against Sharia.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the FBR describes “withholding tax” as an advance payment of tax deducted at the time of economic activities specified under certain sections of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and Sales Tax Act, 1990.
The CII meeting also discussed matters related to the establishment of human milk banks in the country.
Human milk storage facilities can be established under certain conditions, the CII said, adding that necessary legislation on the matter must come first to prevent evils.
Pakistan’s first Human Milk Bank and Early Childhood Centre was established at the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) in Karachi in June last year.
The initiative, however, was suspended just weeks later after the issuance of a fatwa (Islamic decree). The SICHN spokesperson had said they would consult the Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi and the CII for further guidance over the operations of the human milk bank.
Meanwhile, the CII also opposed the amendments made to the diyat (blood money) law by the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice earlier this month.
The parliamentary committee increased the minimum value of diyat from 30,663 grammes to 45,000 grammes of silver on September 13.
The CII stated that diyat values such as gold, silver, and camel should have been part of the law.
The council also advised against the use of insulin containing pig-derived ingredients by diabetic patients, saying that halal (permissible) insulin was easily available in the markets.
The meeting also discussed the Supreme Court’s September 11 judgment about a woman’s right to maintenance.
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