LAHORE              -            Religious scholars belonging to Majlise Ulema-e-Pakistan, namely Maulana Muhammad Khan Leghari, Allama Kazim Raza Naqvi, Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Abual Nauman Mubashar, Maulana Abdus Sattar Niazi, Allama Abbas Ghazi and others, in their statements on Friday, said the country could not be put to test in the present circumstances.

They said that the verdict given by a Special Court against former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, had only added to the country’s problems. They opined the time was not ripe for a decision like this against the former president.

They prayed to Almighty Allah to grant unity to the nation so that the country could be saved from further crises. The religious scholars said they, Pakistan Army and the government were all on the same page when it came to the national security. “Together, we will have to strive to pull our country out of crisis,” they stressed.

Ulema urged all and sundry to refrain from making inflammatory statements as a single such statement could push the country further deep into the mire.

They said the services of Pakistan Army were no secret. “The whole nation is aware of the sacrifices given by the Army personnel,” they added.

Majlis-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan Chairman Maulana Syed Abdul Khabeer Azad said the entire nation stood with the country’s Armed Forces. “The Armed Forces have always defended the country’s frontiers,” he reminded.

Azad said the sacrifices given by the forces for the restoration of peace in the country were an open secret. “We salute our valiant Armed Forces,” he added.

He categorically said there was no room in Islam to defile the body of a dead person. “Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has forbidden from defiling a corpse,” Azad said, and added, “Therefore, any such act which demeans somebody is against the spirit of Islam. Therefore, we should refrain from such acts.”

Sajjada Nasheen Hazrat Data Gunj Bux (RA) Sahibzada Mian Ijaz Ahmed Hajveri has said the judge by ordering the defiling of the corpse after hanging has gone against the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.

He appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to take suo motu notice of the statement inserted in the verdict.