We do not believe there a reason for Sheikh Ilyas to be summoned to the committee: Adhaalath

Adhaalath Party has said that the party does not see any reason for Sheikh Ilyas Hussain to be summoned to the Parliament committee, after the Parliamentary committee reviewing the Penal Code Bill had decided to summon Sheikh Ilyas, alleging him of misleading the public regarding the current draft of the Penal Code Bill.

The Parliamentary committee reviewing the Penal Code Bill decided to summon Sheikh Ilyas Hussain, the Adhaalath Party’s Scholar's Wing President, following accusations that the Sheikh had publicly stated that purpose of the current draft of the Penal Code Bill was to crush and destroy the religion of Islam, during a sermon he gave after Isha prayer on the 22nd of March. They have also accused him of misleading the public through his statements.

President of Adhaalath Party’s Media Committee Abdulla Humaid told Sun today that the party sees no reason for the Sheikh to be summoned to the committee, especially since the committee had added a clause to the Penal Code Bill in an attempt to cover up their previous stand on the matter, after Sheikh Ilyas had made his statements during the sermon.

“…we do not believe that the Shiekh should be summoned to the committee upon claims that he made any statements that contradicted it (Penal Code Bill). After the Sheikh made his statements, we are aware that they added a clause and tried to cover things up,” Humaid said.

A recent addition to the current draft of the Penal Code Bill, after it become a focus of criticism from religious scholars, states that a person must face the due punishment if a person is convicted of a crime that has a punishment prescribed in the Quran.