Islamabad: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday allowed the establishment of Human Milk Banks in Pakistan under strict conditions, ruling that the initiative is permissible in principle but must be governed by clear legislation to prevent misuse and ensure compliance with Islamic injunctions.
The decision came during the Council’s 243rd meeting in Islamabad, where members considered the request of the Sindh government for guidance after the country’s first Human Milk Bank, set up in 2023 by the Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology (SICHN) in collaboration with UNICEF, was suspended following religious objections and public criticism.
The project had been launched to provide life-saving nutrition to premature and critically ill newborns whose mothers were unable to breastfeed, but it quickly became controversial due to concerns over fosterage (raza’at) in Islamic law.
Announcing its decision, the CII said that milk banks are acceptable as long as they operate under a legal framework that ensures transparency and prevents social complications, particularly with regard to lineage and foster relations. The Council emphasized that it should be directly involved in drafting and vetting such laws to guarantee their conformity with Shariah.
The ruling has been welcomed by pediatric experts and health advocates. The Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology and its director, Prof. Jamal Raza, hailed the decision as a breakthrough that would allow the resumption of the suspended project. He said the milk bank was launched to save newborn lives, not to create controversy, and the CII’s guidance would now help align the medical need with religious sensitivities.
The Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) and UNICEF also applauded the Council’s stance, saying it would pave the way for saving thousands of vulnerable infants who cannot be breastfed and for whom formula feeding is often unsafe, unaffordable, or unavailable.
Prof. Raza said the suspension of the initiative had deprived critically ill children of a proven intervention that has saved countless lives in other Muslim countries. “This is a medical necessity for premature and critically ill babies. We welcome the CII’s guidance, which will allow us to move forward in a way that respects both medical needs and Islamic values,” he said.
UNICEF officials added that the Council’s position shows that Pakistan can strike a balance between religious principles and modern medical practices, ensuring infants get the best chance of survival.
The CII, chaired by Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi, also deliberated on other issues during the meeting. It rejected proposed amendments to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2025 relating to Diyat, declared withholding tax un-Islamic, and called for legislation to ensure that only halal-based insulin is available for diabetes patients, stressing that pig-derived products must not be used when halal alternatives exist.
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