Dialogue on Social and Legal Challenges in Muslim Societies with an Indonesian Scholar at IPS
The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad, hosted an engaging in-house session on August 27, 2025, with Prof. Dr. Abrar from Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Imam Bonjol Padang, Indonesia, who was visiting Pakistan. The session provided an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange between Pakistani and Indonesian scholars, as well as for exploring shared challenges faced by Muslim societies in the contemporary era.
In his talk, Prof. Dr. Abrar spoke on the theme of “Social Issues and Legislative Approaches in Muslim Societies.” He highlighted how Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country, navigates critical social concerns through the interplay of legislation, policy, and Shariah principles. Drawing on the Indonesian experience, he explained the ways in which governance frameworks, religious interpretations, and community engagement work together to address evolving societal needs while balancing tradition with modernity.
The session was also joined by Amb (r) Syed Abrar Hussain, vice chairman IPS, Prof Dr Mustafeez Alvi, senior IPS associate and former dean, Social Sciences, NUML, Islamabad, Prof Dr Atiq uz Zafar Khan, research advisor, IPS, Prof Dr Shahzad Iqbal Sham, senior research associate, IPS, Syed Nadeem Farhat, research fellow, IPS, and IPS team.
The discussion sparked a fruitful exchange of ideas with IPS researchers and participants, who reflected on parallels with Pakistan’s own socio-legal context. The session underscored the importance of cross-country dialogue in developing holistic approaches to social legislation within Muslim societies. It also reinforced IPS’s commitment to fostering academic collaboration and promoting comparative insights on governance, law, and social development across the Muslim world.
