Overcoming religious and public criticism, govt allows human milk banks in Pakistan

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has approved in principle a bill from the Sindh Health Department on setting up an institution to preserve breast milk for children in need, while proposing recommendations for changes.

The council permitted the establishment of human milk banks in Pakistan under defined conditions. It stated that the initiative is permissible but requires legislation to prevent misuse and ensure compliance with Islamic injunctions. The council noted that it had earlier approved the concept during its meeting in September last year and had stressed the need for a legal framework.

The earlier deliberation came after the Sindh government approached the council following the suspension of the country’s first human milk bank. The facility had been set up in 2023 by the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology in collaboration with Unicef but was halted after religious objections and public criticism.

During the meeting, the council reviewed a recent Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruling on matrimonial assets. It reiterated that it had already informed a Senate Standing Committee that the concept of matrimonial assets is not compatible with Shariah principles, after which the committee rejected the bill.

The council stated that despite the rejection, the Islamabad High Court directed the government to legislate on the matter, which it termed inappropriate. It decided to write to the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court and the speaker of the National Assembly to convey its reservations.

The council also reviewed standard operating procedures prepared by the Ministry of Religious Affairs on recycling sacred pages and declared them satisfactory. It raised concern over an incident involving its member Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi in London and urged the government to take action against those responsible.

The meeting, chaired by Raghib Hussain Naeemi, also acknowledged the role of the government, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir regarding efforts linked to a ceasefire in the Middle East.

“On the completion of one year of the ‘Battle of Truth’, the Council of Islamic Ideology paid tribute to the Pakistan armed forces, especially Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” said a statement issued by the CII Media Wing after the meeting.