Pakistan's court dismisses petition to include Quran in school syllabus
Karachi, Dec 16: A top Pakistani court here on Friday dismissed a petition that sought to make it compulsory the inclusion of the holy Quran with translation in the syllabus of primary to college level education.
The Sindh High Court in its verdict dismissed the petition on the grounds that faith is a personal matter of an individual and the court cannot interfere.
It said no changes can be made to the education syllabus if fundamental rights are violated.
The High court also observed that the Constitution has created a balance among the roles of three pillars of power -- Judiciary, Legislature, and Administration.
The court also noted that Article 20 of the Constitution provides religious freedom to citizens and makes it mandatory for the state not to interfere in the religious matters of individuals.
In its verdict, the court further said that the Constitution of Pakistan gives a guarantee to an individual to exercise his fundamental rights without the government interfering unless he breaks a law.
Advocate Imtiaz Ali, who appeared for the petitioner, argued that the holy Quran education should be made compulsory in the Sindh province as Pakistan was an Islamic state created for Muslims.
Presently students in primary and secondary levels are required to study Islamic studies as a subject but non-Muslims can opt for an optional subject.
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Shubman Gill set to be named Cricketer of the Year at BCCI annual gala
New Delhi (PTI): India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is set to be named Cricketer of the Year at the BCCI's annual awards to be held here on March 15.
The 26-year-old, who was not picked in the T20 side that defended the World Cup crown last month, enjoyed a stellar run in the other two formats.
He amassed 983 runs in Tests, including a whopping 754 in the drawn away series against England in 2025, at average of over 70.
His ODI runs tally stood at 490, including 188 runs during India's title-winning Champions Trophy campaign .
Overall, Gill accumulated 1,764 runs across formats at an average of 49, dotted with seven centuries and three fifties.
Although his T20 International form was not particularly impressive, he was in tremendous form during the IPL, scoring 650 runs for Gujarat Titans at an average of 50.
Former India head coach Rahul Dravid is set to be honored with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for his monumental contribution to Indian cricket, including guiding the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is set to be named the Best Association in domestic cricket.
