ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Pakistan Tuesday declared human cloning and changing of gender as un-Islamic acts while announcing its recommendations on a range of issues.

Addressing a press conference, Chairman CII Maulana Muhammad Ali Sherani said the council in its 193rd meeting discussed different issues.

He said research and thinking were not banned in Islam and new innovations were allowed but within the limits of the religion.

The council declared human cloning as un-Islamic while maintaining its recommendations given in a previous meeting, Sherani said.

He said that changing of gender was also un-Islamic for both males and females, however, he added that a person could be operated upon if he/she has characteristics of both sexes. The procedure should be done within Islamic injunctions though, he added.

The Islamic council allowed test tube babies under certain conditions, said Sherani.

Gender selection was not prohibited in Islam and it can be done with the limits of the Shariah, however, it could not be used as a common practice.

The chairman said that “mother milk banks” should not be permitted as use of milk from there would complicate family life and it would also not be a healthy practice.

He said use of secret recordings for court cases should not be part of a general policy but it should only be done in specific cases. Evidence gained from secret recordings should be used as supportive evidence according to the Shariah law, he added.

Maulana Sherani said the council, in its next meeting, will take up the issues of Christian and Hindu marriage and divorce, decision of Federal Shariah court regarding Zakat deduction, Shariah veil, status of installing statues in museums and public places and report on national and international agreements.