ISLAMABAD: An eminent Islamic jurist on Thursday warned of registering a blasphemy case against the government if it did not expunge a paragraph from its review petition against the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) verdict in which it had compared the controversial ordinance to the Charter of Madina.

Dr Muhammad Aslam Khaki, the adviser to the Federal Shariat Court on Islamic jurisprudence and an eminent Islamic jurist, demanded of the government to immediately delete the paragraph. In its updated review petition against the SC’s verdict on the NRO the other day, the federal government said the Supreme Court judges had misinterpreted the Islamic history and laws in the NRO case as they had not obtained the services of an Islamic jurist, who might have assisted them during the proceedings.

The government defended the promulgation of the NRO on the grounds that the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) first step in Madina was of reconciliation through the Charter of Madina (Misaq-e-Madina). “No bigger or greater precedent can be presented in a court of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” it added. Dr Aslam Khaki, however, observed that reconciliation had taken place in the NRO between a dictator and a political party accused of corruption, apparently meant to hide the corruption and crimes of each other.

Whereas, he said, the Charter of Madina was an accord of Muslims with non-Muslims of Madina for mutual patience and tolerance in the leadership of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Khaki said the Madina accord did not have any reconciliation between the Muslims and non-Muslims on corruption and crimes. He said the government was so exhausted that it was comparing the Charter of Madina to the NRO to support and defend its weakest contentions on the verdict against the NRO.

Khaki said the government had given the weakest and against-the-fact contentions by comparing the NRO to the Charter of Madina and it was blasphemy against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and His Sahaba (companions) (RA), adding the government had committed blasphemy this way and was liable to be prosecuted under the blasphemy laws. “On the occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi, when the entire Muslim Ummah is celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) and remembering him (PBUH) as blessing for the entire world, the government is comparing the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) accord to the NRO and it could hurt sentiments of the whole Muslim Ummah,” he added.