Maqbool Ahmed vs Government of Punjab

IN THE FEDERAL SHARIAT COURT

(..ORIGINAL J URI SDI CTI ON!

PRESENT

MR. JUSTI CE DR. TANZI L- UR- RAHMAN, CHIEF J USTI CE

MR. J USTI CE DR. FI DA MUHAMMAD KHAN, JUDGE

MR. JUSTI CE ABAID ULLAH KHAN, JUDGE

SHARIAT PETI TI ON NO: 63/L OF 1991

Mr . Ma q b o o l Ahmad Q u r e s h i , Advocate, D i s t r i c t Courts, Gujranwala. ... PETi TI ONER

VERSUS

G o v e r n me n t o f P u n j a b through the S e c r e t a r y , D e p t t . o f Law & P a r l i a m e n t a r y Affai r s , La h o r e . RESPONDENT Fo r t h e Petitioner In p e r s o n Da t e o f I n s t i t u t i o n of S h ar i a t P e t i t i o n 29.6.1991 Da t e o f H e a r i n g 18.8.1991 Da t e o f Decision 18.8.1991 -o-

r S.'P.No.63/L of 1991

JUDGMENT

DR . FI DA MUHAMMAD KHAN, J . - Thi s Shariat

Petition filed by Mr . Ma q b o o l Ahmad Q u r e s h i challenges sections 12 a nd 20 o f t h e Punjab Lo c a l Go v e r n me n t O r d i n a n c e , 1979 (hereinafter referred to as t h e Ordinance) on t h e ground t h a t they are repugnant to the injunctions of Islam. The i mp u g n e d sections are as under:- "12. E l e c t i o n o f C h a i r ma n a n d V i c e - Ch a i - ma n o f a Loc a l C o u n c i l .

(1)For e v e r y l o c a l c o u n c i l t h e r e s h a l l be a C h a i r ma n a nd a v i c e - c h a i r m a n who s h a l l be e l e c t e d f^orn a mo n g s t t h e me mb e r s o f t h e l o c a l c o u n c i l i n t h e p r e s c r i b e d ma n n e r .

20.Qualification of candidates a nd me mb e r s .

Any p e r s o n who h a s a t t a i n e d t h e a g e o f t w e n t y - f i v e y e a r s on t h e l a s t d a y f i x e d f o r f i l i n g t h e n o m i n a t i o n p a p e r s s h a l l be q u a l i f i e d t o be a c a n d i d a t e f o r e l e c t i o n t o a n e l e c t o r a l u n i t of a l o c a l counci l i f f o r t he t i me being h i s name a p p e a r on t h e e l e c t o r a l r o l l o f t h a t electoral unit".

2.The r e a s o n s stated by t h e petitioner are that inspite of the fact that Ho l y P r o p h e t ( ) enjoyed i n Makka h e x c e p t i o n a l good r e p u t a t i o n a n d h i g h mo r a l character even a t the age o f 25, he (peace be u p o n Hi m) was o r d a i n e d as Prophet and l e a d e r o f Mu s l i m Ummah on completing the age of forty years. The l e a r n e d Petitioner submitted that the point to ponder i s , ' w h y di d Al mi ght y Allah not consider it proper t o make hi m a P r o p h e t , a t an age y o u n g e r than forty'? He c o n t e n d e d that it clearly indicated that 2 5 , 3 0 o r 35 y e a r was not the proper natural age for representing the people. Elaborating his point he s a i d that passions and s e n t i m e n t s generally prevail on t h e life o f man b e f o r e forty a nd on a t t a i n i n g this age, o n e g a i n s maxi mum p h y s i c a l g r o wt h and s t r e n g t h .

In t h i s connection he h a s relied on v e r s e 15 o f S u r a Al-ahkaf. He l a s t l y submitted that Councillors a nd h e a d s

of l o c a l councils are assigned the onerous responsibili­ ties of r e p r e se n t i n g thousands of t h e i r voters, while holding the p o we r s of Cour t , to adjudicate cases of civil, criminal a nd f a m i l y laws, in t h e i r respective areas.

3.The u p s h o t of the s u b mi s s i o ns ma de by t h e learned Petitioner is to get theage limit of 25 y e a r s struck off and prescribe an a g e l i m i t of forty years for all the me mb e r s t o ' be e l e c t e d to various Councils and Co mmi t t e e s .

In v i e w o f t h i s the learned Petitioner has prayed t h a t sections 12 a nd 20 o f Punjab Lo c a l G o v e r n me n t O r d i n a n c e , 1 9 7 9 be d e c l a r e d repugnant to the injunctions of Isl am.

4.We h a v e heard the learned Petitioner in person a nd t h o r o u g h l y e x a m i n e d the contentions put for ward by h i m. Ho we v e r , we d o n ' t find ourselves in agreement with his point o f v i e w.

5.So f a r as t h e point regarding the commissioning of the Ho l y P r o p h e t { ) at the age of forty as raised by t h e petitioner is concerned, it is absolutely irrelevent. The d u t i e s of public representatives to Un i o n Council, Town C o mmi t t e e e t c . cannot be c o n s i d e r e d to have even a s l i g h t e s t resembl ance to the m u l t i d i r e c t i o n a l responsibilities of t he Ho l y P r o p h e t ( ) and as such t he contention is totally misconceived.

6.The f a c t is that no d i r e c t injunction is available in t h e H o l y Qu r a n regarding the age l i m i t for appointment, selection or election of a person to a public office. How­ ever , i n d i r e c t references about the age a r e available at several places. For e x a mp l e t h e age s p e c i f i e d for returning the p r o p e r t y t o t h e Or pha ns is that of attainment of puberty provided ' Rushd' is found i n t h e m. The v e r s e

reads as foilows:

" Ma ke t r i a l o f O r p h a n s U n t i l t h e y r e a c h t h e age Of ma r r i a g e ; i f t hen ye f i nd So u n d j u d g m e n t - , i n t h e m Release t h e i r p r o p e r t y t o them;

{Surah A ! - N i s a : 6 )

7.The a g e o f m a r r i a g e mentioned in the verse above is the a g e when o n e r e a c h e s one's majority. Thi s verse highlights the fact that Islamic injunctions value the factum of ' Rushd' (Capability of sound j udgme nt ) mor et han the factor of any s p e c i f i c age in its system of life. We also find references to some q u a l i t i e s t h a t may be possessed by t h e office-holders. The Ho l y Qu r a n w h i l e refering to t h e appointment of Hazrat Talut as Ki ng o v e r the Isra'elites has me n t i o n e d his qualities in the following verse:

"Allah hath; chosen him above you And h a t h g i f t e d hi m A b u n d a n t l y wi t h k n o wl e d g e And b o d i l y p r o w e s s : " ( Sur a B a q a r a h :247 )

Thi s v e r s e specifically highlights the importance of physical a nd intellectual qualities. There is another verse that reads as f ol l ow:

" ( J o s e p h ) s a i d : " S e t me Ov e r t h e s t o r e - h o u s e Of t h e l a n d : I w i l l I n d e e d g u a r d t h e m, As o n e t h a t knows I am H a f e e z A1 e e m " . (Surah Yusuf:55) Besides intellectual qu a litie s,this verse discribes mo r a l qualities i.e. h o n e s t y a nd integrity as w e l l . Bo t h t h e s e verses read tog e th e r are explicit to highlight the importance of physical, intellectual a n d mo r a l qualities to be p o s s e s s e d by t h e aspirants to the public offices a nd no m e n t i o n o f a n y s p e c i f i c a g e i s found i n t h e Holy Quran t o

S.P.N0.63/L of 1991

' % m

this effect. It Is a wel l - known f a c t that.-

8.ihe v e r s e mentioned above as referred to by t h e Petitioner reads as underl­

e t le ngth,when he r e a ch e s a t th e age o f f u l l s t r e n g t h and a t t a i n s f o r t y y e a r s , ............. " (Surah Al-Ahkaf:15)

Th o u g h it is true that the age b e t we e n thirty a nd f o r t y years is that of b e s t ma n h o o d for a person,the age betw een 18 t o 30 y e a r s is also an a g e o f full strength a nd v i t a l i t y a nd t h i s period is no l e s s in i mpor t ance in a n y wa y . It is historically proved that Hazrat Yous a f ( f ) was a p p o i n t e d to the highest office in Egypt at an a g e o f a b o u t 30 y e a r s . ( Ta f h e e mu l Quran, v o l u m e - I I , page 382, Ma k t a b a T a m e e r Insaniyyat 1967). Several other exampl es could a l so be q u o t e d from I s l a m i c history to support the vi ew t h a t age s h o u l d n o t be t h e only deciding factor in a s s u m i n g an o f f i c e of public responsibility.

9.In f a c t there is nothing in the H o l y Qu r a n a nd Sunnah t h a t lays restriction o f a g e on a n y s u c h appointments The Ho l y P r o p h e t ( ) appointed H a z r a t Usama a s Comma nde r o f a Mu s l i m Army c o mp o s e d o f h i s v e r y h i g h aged r a n k i n g / c o m p a n i o n s a n d e n t r u s t e d hi m a v e r y i m p o r t a n t mission while he was o n l y 18 y e a r s old. (Ibn Saad, A1 - Tabaqat, vol ume- 4, page 66, Dar S a d e r , B e i r u t ) .

10.So f a r as the nat ure of job e n t r u s t e d t o Un i o n Council, District Council, Town C o m m i t t e e , Muni ci pal C o m m i t t e e a nd M u n i c i p a l Corporation is concerned the age o f 25 y e a r s is quite suitable a nd we f i n d nothing wr ong in i t from t he Islamic point o f view p r o v i d e d that the person is of s o u n d mi n d and bears good mo r a l character a nd is not disqualified i n view of t h e provisions

mentioned in s e c t i o n 21 o f t h e Ordinance. It may a l s o be ment i oned that mo r e important functions a nd r e s p o n s i b i ­ lities are performed by t h e Go v e r n me n t o f f i c i a l s at even a lesser age because n o r m a l l y 25 y e a r s is the upper age limit for entry to G o v e r n me n t s e r v i c e .

11.Consequently keeping in view t h e above r e a s o n s we f e e l that the petition is misconceived and finding no s u b s t a n c e t h e r e i n we d i s m i s s it in limine.

( DR. FI DA MUHAMMAD KHAN)

JUDGE

(DR. TANZI L-UR-RAHMAN) (ABAID

CHI EF JUSTI CE JUDGE

La h o r e , 1 8 t h A u g u s t , l 991 T M. A r s h a d Kh a n /