DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi on Thursday called for strict adherence to the Constitution, national unity and collective efforts to safeguard peace, while strongly condemning terrorism and conspiracies aimed at destabilising the country.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Khatib Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Maulana Ruhullah Madani, Syed Yousuf Shah of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Samiul Haq Group), Maulana Muhammad Shoaib and Dr Shams-ur-Rehman Shams, Mr Ashrafi said the Constitution had been framed after immense effort and consensus and should be fully implemented.
He said Pakistan had made great sacrifices in the name of Islam and stressed that the country needed unity more than ever.
He also paid tribute to the country’s security personnel and civilians who had lost their lives in terrorist attacks, particularly in Balochistan.
Referring to the recent Muharram observances, Mr Ashrafi welcomed the peaceful conduct of the month across the country and appreciated the implementation of the code of conduct by the authorities. He urged people to respect their own faith while refraining from interfering in the beliefs and practices of others.
The Pakistan Ulema Council chairman said he had spent 36 years with the late Maulana Samiul Haq, describing him as a scholar who dedicated his life to religion.
He condemned attacks on religious scholars and alleged attempts by anti-state elements to undermine peace and target the country’s security institutions.
“We are the custodians of mosques and madrasas, and those who serve religion should not be associated with criminals,” he said, adding that religious scholars had played an important role in the creation of Pakistan.
Mr Ashrafi said Islam did not permit the killing of innocent people and reiterated his support for the country’s security institutions and leadership, urging them to continue efforts for national stability and development.
Addressing the press conference, KP Chief Khatib Maulana Tayyab Qureshi said Muharram had passed peacefully due to the cooperation of religious scholars, the public, police and other institutions.
He said scholars in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rendered significant sacrifices in the fight against extremism and declared that terrorism against the Pakistani state and its armed forces was forbidden. He also warned against issuing decrees that incited hostility against the country, saying the religious scholars of Pakistan stood with national institutions.
The press conference concluded with special prayers for security personnel and civilians martyred in terrorist attacks, as well as for peace, stability and the country’s progress.
