Anwar Mansoor Khan completes his arguments during hearing of case against interest-based system in FSC

ISLAMABAD, Dec 03 (SABAH): Amicus cure and former attorney general for Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan completed his arguments after three days in a row during the hearing of the case against the interest-based system in the Federal Shariat Court on Friday. The court also appreciated Anwat Mansoor Khan for assisting the court in the matter. Meanwhile Chief Justice Muhammad Noor Miskanzai has remarked that the court will try to complete the hearing of the case against the interest-based system as soon as possible. At the next hearing, senior lawyer Babar Awan would present arguments as amicus cure.

Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan leader Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan demanded that the court should give the government a timeline to prove its objections. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Federal Shariat Court Muhammad Noor Muskmanzai and comprising Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar and Justice Khadim Hussain M. Sheikh began hearing of the case.

Anwar Mansoor Khan, while initiating arguments, took the position that the directive in the Constitution to abolish interest from the country was direct and that there was no scope for conventional banking in the country. He added that the direction of State Bank of Pakistan was right but the government was an obstacle on the way to abolish interest system and that the world was moving away from the interest system. Anwar Mansoor Khan further said that the IMF was also saying that the system could work without interest.

After the completion of the arguments of Anwar Mansoor Khan, Deputy Emir JI Pakistan Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, while presenting arguments said that the court should give timeline to government for proving its objections, adding that the government was not ready to recognize the banking interest as ribah, it has been proved that the banking interest is ribah. The Chief Justice FSC remarked that after the arguments of the Attorney General, all parties will be heard, if there is thirst in the matter, the answers will be taken from the parties while putting questions in front of them.

The Chief Justice FSC said that efforts would be made to settle the case expeditiously. The Additional Attorney General informed the court that Babar Awan would present arguments at the next hearing as amicus cure, after which Attorney General for Pakistan Barrister Khalid Jawed Khan would present his arguments before the court. The court commended Anwar Mansoor Khan for his full support and adjourned further hearing of the case till December 9.