Codification of Muslim Family Laws of Pakistan and Malaysia: An Evolutionary Comparative Study

Codification is the creation of codes, the compilation of written statues, rules, and regulations that inform the public of the acceptable and the unacceptable behaviour. Muslim jurists had differed in their opinion of codification of Islamic laws; some supported the idea, while the others opposed it. However, in the contemporary global situation, Muslim scholars are emphasizing the importance of codification of Islamic laws and efforts have been initiated in many Muslim countries to codify them. In the current paper, the evolution of Muslim Family Laws of Pakistan and Malaysia has been comparatively studied. Malaysia has been selected due to its technological and economic advancement among the Muslim countries. Malaysia serves as an example in the modem codification of Islamic Laws. In Pakistan, Criminal and Penal Laws are codified while the Muslim Family Laws have not been codified and left scattered in various acts, ordinances and court decisions. The Malaysian Family Law are codified in one volume and enacted after necessary legislation through an act of the parliament. The objective of this comparative evolutionary study is to provide a practical model for the Islamization and codification of Muslim Family Laws in Pakistan.

Us Policy in Indian Ocean:

The Indian Ocean has attained significance as center stage of world politics in current century. The regions of Asia Pacific & Atlantic were the main theatres of warfare generally in World Wars and specifically in cold war .Asia has emerged as epicenter of global politics in current timeframe. Indian Ocean politics has greatly affected the US policy in post-cold war and post 9/11 period due to growing Chinese and Indian interests and presence in the region. This triangular relationship between US, China and India has great implications on regional balance of power and especially on Pakistan. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the United States Policy in the Indian Ocean during post-cold war period from year 1990 to 2014. A comprehensive research has been done to determine the implications of US approach on Pakistan’s foreign and maritime policy. Although qualitative in nature but content analysis method has been adopted for research. Analytical, historical and descriptive approach has been employed to understand strategic moves from different angles. Apart from relevant primary data i.e. official reports and documents, interviews from naval officers and experts have been effectuated in order to fathom the expert view and to ample the study vision. It has been concluded that US reframed its policy through offensive realist perspective especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. United States approach was to subjugate Pakistan through coercive diplomacy in post- cold war and post 9/11 period. US have revised its Cooperative Security Strategy of 2007 as Cooperative security Strategy for 21 century in 2012: Forward, Engaged, Ready; it has shifted its focus to Asia Pacific after declaration of Asia Pivot policy. Pakistan had no other option except to look towards China in order to counter balance the growing Indo-US synergy in the Indian Ocean. US inclination towards India has turned into a challenge for Pakistan’s foreign and maritime policy makers. The need of the hour is to re-visit maritime and foreign policy of Pakistan keeping in view changing dynamics of Indian Ocean geopolitics.