عورت کی وراثت اور پاکستان میں سماجی و قانونی حیثیت کا اسلامی تعلیما ت کی روشنی میں تحقیقی جائزہ

The Holy Quran is seen as the ultimate source of guidance and knowledge in Islam. It defines inheritance as automatic transfer of possession by which estate person transfers to the heirs as succession. In the Quran Surat Al Nisa explains about inheritane in just a manner that is due to each individual, male female. This Surah of the Quran has clearly specifies that women should no longer be treated as cattle and commodities, but as individuals, they have the legal right to inherit. The Quran mentions plainly the women right of inheritance in Surat Al Nisa : “ Allah Charge you concerning (i provision for) your children : to the male equivalent of the portion of two females, and if there be women more than two, then theirs is two-third of inheritance, and there be one(only) then the half. Islam gives the women right of inheritance, but the practical situation is different in society and country laws of inheritance. Women are often deprived of this fundamental right especially when it comes inheritance of immoveable assets i.e land. There are numerous reasons to deprive women from inheritance, for example cultural practices such as considering dowry as an alternate to inheritance etc. But the major cause is lack of knowledge and awareness regarding Shariah Law and state legislature due to rampant literacy and dominant role of customs and culture. This research article is an attempt to describe Islamic Law of inheritance along with the extensive study to analyze the practical social and legal status in Pakistani society, and awareness among the women of Pakistan.

Optimization of Factors Affecting Biodegradation of Chlorpyrifos in Soil and Water Environments

Chlorpyrifos an insecticide, is extensively used in Pakistan and contaminating the soil and water environments at several sites. Exploration of efficient chlorpyrifos-degrading bacteria to clean-up this toxicant is of immense importance. This study reports the isolation, screening and identification of highly efficient chlorpyrifos degrading bacterial strains from different soils and water samples collected from different sites of Pakistan. Out of total 50 isolated bacterial strains, 32 were tested for their biodegradation capability in a culture medium containing chlorpyrifos as carbon and energy source. The bacterial isolates showed a great variation (25-92%) in their ability to degrade chlorpyrifos in broth condition. Out of these 32 strains, four bacterial strains (SWLC2, SWLH2, SGB2 and SWLC1) were the most promising in their growth and biodegradation activity and were identified and characterized by biochemical characteristics and 16S rRNA sequence analyses. Three strains (SGB2, SWLC1 and SWLC2) showed the greatest similarity to the members of Enterobacteriacea and one strain (SWLH2) to Rhizobiacea families. These selected strains (Enterobacter sp. SWLC1, Enterobacter sp. SGB2, Agrobacterium sp. SWLH2 and Enterobacter sp. SWLC2) exhibited biodegradation potential between 81 to 92% of the spiked amount of chlorpyrifos (100 mg l -1 ) within 18 days of incubation in broth culture. Biodegradation of chlorpyrifos continued gradually throughout the incubation period (18 days) as examined by the HPLC - UV system. Abiotic degradation contributed only up to 15% of the spiked amount. Maximum biodegradation by the four efficient bacterial strains was observed at an initial pH of 7 and an incubation temperature of 30 o C, under shaking conditions. Among these four strains, Enterobacter sp. SWLC2 was found most efficient in biodegradation of chlorpyrifos and was selected for further studies. This strain was then optimized in broth as well as in soil slurry under different conditions. Enterobacter sp. SWLC2 showed maximum biodegradation of chlorpyrifos at pH 7, 30 o C, under shaking conditions with inoculum size of 800 μl. Biodegradation of chlorpyrifos by Enterobacter sp. SWLC2 varied in different textured soils, being more rapid in course textured soils than in fine textured soil. Among these soils, loamy soil was selected for further studies in soil slurry experiments due to its medium textured nature as soils of Punjab are mostly loamy in texture. An initial inoculum size of 800 μl (OD= 0.80), incubation temperature of 30 o C, under shaking, initial pH 7 of soil slurry of loam soil were found optimal conditions for maximum biodegradation of chlorpyrifos byEnterobacter sp. SWLC2. Exogenous application of sugars, yeast extract, manitol, organic acids and amino acids had stimulator or inhibitory effects on biodegradation of chlorpyrifos by Enterobacter sp. SWLC2. Among these, glucose, yeast extract, succinic acid and citric acid had stimulatory effects on biodegradation of chlorpyrifos. Biodegradation of chlorpyrifos by Enterobacter sp. SWLC2 was also checked at different initial concentrations of chlorpyrifos from 10-250 mg l -1 . Rate of biodegradation increased with increase in concentration of chlorpyrifos from 100-150 mg l -1 and suggested first order rate kinetics. In all experiments, utilization of chlorpyrifos by the strains was accompanied by a parallel increase in optical densities of broth implying that removal of this pesticide from the growth medium was a growth linked biodegradation. These results highlighted the potential of this bacterium to be used in the detoxification strategies of chlorpyrifos contaminated water and soil environments.