LAHORE - A meeting of prominent ulema from all schools of thought announced supporting the National Action Plan approved by the parliament for eliminating terrorism.
The ulema meeting, presided over by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday, in a joint communique condemned the Peshawar tragedy terming it the worst kind of terrorism.
Praying for the departed souls they said: “Blood of Peshawar martyrs has given a new dimension of solidarity and harmony to the entire nation which is an important chapter of national history and sacrifices of these martyrs will be remembered forever.”
The ulema assured complete cooperation to national leadership in this war and expressed the hope that indiscriminate action would be taken for eliminating terrorism and the terrorists would be brought to condign justice.
Participants of the meeting consider it essential to express this fact that Islam is a religion of peace and mosques and seminaries have always promoted teachings of peace and mosques and seminaries have no role in terrorism. However, action against those institutions which are found involved in terrorism is not only essential for national peace but it will also reflect the Islamic teachings.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that Pakistan was facing most difficult challenge of its history. He said that terrorism and extremism had destroyed the national economy and shaken the foundations of the country. He said that worst kind of terrorism was committed against innocent children in Peshawar and there is no example of such brutality in the present history.
The chief minister said scholars should shoulder the responsibility to bring in peace. Ulema have to fight the ideological war against terrorism, he opined. He said that ulema should play their effective role for promoting the sentiments of brotherhood, tolerance and patience in the society.
Shahbaz Sharif said that a joint strategy had been evolved with mutual consultation and consensus against terrorism and expressed the hope that through its implementation, terrorism would be eliminated from the country and it would be made a haven of peace.
“Ulema have to eliminate the open contradiction in the society and we all have to settle our issues jointly by learning a lesson from the past. Nation has high hopes and we have to come up to their expectations. Country can be rid of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism by following Uswa-e-Hasna of Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him),” the CM held.
Shahbaz Sharif reiterated that Pakistan will be made an Islamic welfare state in the real sense by changing the course of history. He said that no one could think of amendment in the blasphemy law. He said that those who were spreading such rumors did not want peace in the country.
“Law is equal for all and the Punjab government will take indiscriminate action against distribution of provocative CDs and publication of such literature,” the chief minister held. He vowed that the shops of those selling literature based on religious hatred would be sealed and they would be sent behind the bar. He warned that no leniency would be shown to those delivering provocative speeches.
The ulema who attended the meeting included Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi, Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhri, Allama Muhammad Afzal Haidri, Prof Senator Sajid Mir, Sahibzada Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah, Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Sialvi, Maulana Ahmed Ali Kasuri, Allama Sahibzada Muhibbullah Noori, Maulana Sahibzada Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Maulana Pir Mahfooz Shah Mashdi, Maulana Pir Khalilur Rehman Shah, Maulana Pir Jamilur Rehman Shah, Maulana Sahibzada Abdul Mustafa Hazarvi, Maulana Sher Muhammad Khan, Maulana Allama Muhammad Khan Leghari, Maulana Muhammad Ali Naqshbandi, Allama Dr Muhammad Haseeb, Maulana Mujahid Abdul Rasool, Dr Mazhar Farid, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Chinioti, Maulana Allama Abdul Rauf Malik, Maulana Pir Saif Ullah Khalid, Maulana Amjad Khan, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Ghumman, Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi, Maulana Muhammad Abdul Mateen Khan Zahidi, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Maulana Abdul Maalik, Maulana Ayyub Safdar, Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Amjad, Allama Muhammad Yousaf Anwar, Maulana Abdul Wahab Ropri, Maulana Dr Abdul Karim, Maulana Muhammad Naeem Butt, Maulana Zubair Ahmad Zaheer, Maulana Dr Hassan Madni, Maulana Abdul Rehman Luddehanavi, Maulana Yasin Zafar, Allama Syed Niaz Hussain Naqvi, Allama Asad Abbas Naqvi, Allama Abdul Khaliq Asdi, Allama Khawaja Basharat Hussain Karbalai, Allama Syed Waqar ul Hasnain Naqvi, Allama Hafiz Kazim Raza, Allama Amjad Ali Jaafri, Allama Karamat Abbas Haidri. Coordinator Ittehad Bainul Muslimeen Committee Punjab Maulana Mufti Intikhab Ahmad Noori, Maulana Sahibzada Zahid Qasimi, Maulana Dr Abdul Ghafoor Rashid, Alhaaj Haider Ali Mirza, Alhaaj Habib Ullah Bhatti, Dr Zaheer Ahmad, women members Ittehad Bainul Muslimeen and Muttehidda Ulema Board Dr. Syeda Naheed Kausar, Tanzeela Saeed, Khanum Sakina Meharwari, Prof Dr Zahida Hasnain, Dr Hafiza Shahida Perveen attended the meeting. Justice ( R ) Khalil ur Rehman Khan especially participated in the meeting. Allama Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi. Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhari, Allama Muhammad Afzal Haidri, Prof. Senator Sajid Mir, Sahibzada Pir Amin ul Hasanat Shah, Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, Dr. Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar and other Ulema also spoke on the occasion.
Provincial Ministers Shuja Khanzada, Atta Manika, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Bilal Yasin, MNAs Hamza Shahbaz, Imran Shah, Ch Jaffar Iqbal, MPAs Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Rana Sanaullah, Rauf Mughal, Nizam Sialvi, Ijaz Uchlana, Special Assistant Rana Maqbool, Chief Secretary, Secretaries of Home, Law, Information, Auqaf and other concerned officers also attended the meeting.