Ashrafi terms Peshawar incident act of barbarism

LAHORE - Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Middle East Affairs and Religious Harmony Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi Saturday vehemently condemned the bomb blast in a Peshawar’s mosque and said that the terrorists had no religion.  “It was an act of barbarism,” he stated. “I am in touch with the blast victims and I have expressed my condolences to the Shia Ulema Council head Sajid Naqvi,” he said while talking to the media after holding a condolence meeting at the Muttahida Ulema Board Punjab office here. He said that it was an attack not on a mosque or worshipers only; it was an attack on the entire country. “Suicide bombing is condemned all over the Islamic world including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt. The foreign ministries of all Islamic countries have unanimously condemned it.” Ashrafi said that the anti-state elements wanted to spread chaos and violence in the county, but they would fail in their evil designs as the nation was united to fight against terrorism.

 

He added that the country had presented great sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He stressed the need for implementing the National Action Plan in letter and spirit, adding that peace committees were being formed to maintain more religious harmony and brotherhood in society.

“We should all collectively raise voice against terrorism and scholars of all schools of thought are against extremism and sectarianism,” Ashrafi said.

“The elements involved in the blast will be punished,” he said and added that action would also be taken against the responsible if negligence was found.

“The incidents of terrorism had occurred in the past too during the governments of Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif,” he said and added that the martyrs and unity were more important in the current circumstances to defeat the terrorists.

Ulema of different schools of thought including Allama Afzal Haidari, Allama Raghab Naeemi, Muhammad Khan Laghari and others also expressed grief over the Peshawar’s blast. They also expressed their solidarity with the families of the martyrs and the injured.