The Supreme Court’s Shariat Appellate Bench must expedite the hearing of appeals filed against the Federal Shariat Court’s decisions regarding riba (interest) and the Transgender Act.

(Shujauddin Shaikh)
Lahore (PR): This was said by the Tanzeem e Islami, Shujauddin Shaikh, in a statement. The Ameer said that on April 28, 2022, corresponding to 26 Ramadan 1443 AH, the Federal Shariat Court had, in a landmark judgment, unequivocally declared all forms of interest, including bank interest, as ‘riba’ (interest and usury), which is prohibited by Islam. The court had directed the government to repeal all laws related to ‘riba’ and complete all necessary legislation to establish an interest-free economic system by December 31, 2022. Furthermore, the court had ordered that the entire economic system of the country be aligned with Islamic teachings by December 31, 2027. Similarly, on May 19, 2023, the Federal Shariat Court had ordered the removal of all un-Islamic provisions from the Transgender Act, 2018. It is extremely unfortunate that 908 days have passed since the decision against riba and 521 days since the decision against the Transgender Act, yet neither the previous nor the current governments have taken any practical steps to implement these judgments. Meanwhile, several appeals have been filed in the Supreme Court’s Shariat Appellate Bench against these decisions, rendering a stay on the Federal Shariat Court’s judgments. The Ameer demanded that now that the Supreme Court’s Shariat Appellate Bench has been constituted, the appeals against the Federal Shariat Court’s decisions on riba and the Transgender Act be immediately fixed for hearing and that these baseless appeals be disposed of expeditiously in accordance with Islamic teachings and the Constitution of Pakistan. He warned that if the ongoing betrayal of Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SAAW) continues and all means of promoting immorality and promiscuity are not blocked, the nation will suffer a terrible loss in this world and the Hereafter.
Issued by:
Khursheed Anjum
Markazi Nazim Nashr o Ishaat