Lahore - The Tehreek-e-Labbaik faction of Maulana Ashraf Asif Jalali has dissociated itself from the ransacking, damage to the public and private property and the inconvenience that was caused to the public last Friday when various religious parties staged protests against the acquittal of Christian woman Aasia Bibi of the blasphemy charge by the Supreme Court.

Actions like arson attacks, confrontation with the state and challenging the state’s writ are against the manifesto and principles of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik, Jalali told the media here on Thursday.

He also announced that his group would observe Friday as Yaum-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (SAW) across the country. Jalali said reports showed that activists of a political party were involved in vandalism last Friday. He said his group had nothing to do with troublemakers and those who set public and private property on fire. “Our Tehreek is quite peaceful and it believes in a peaceful struggle. Confronting the state and challenging its writ is neither its manifesto nor way of protest,” he said.  Jalali lauded the role of the Pakistan Army in defence of the country. He said that soldiers were rendering sacrifices to protect the country and its people. He said the Tehreek hates undermining the army’s prestige or maligning it in any way. He said hurling abuses at the Pakistan Army is not the agenda of his group. He said his group believes that whosoever degrades and disrespects the institution of the army is in fact an enemy of the country.