Our Correspondent
Karachi
Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Religious Affairs and Chairman, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi Saturday said that Ulema from different schools of thought and representatives of other religions were striding to promote religious harmony in the country, along with fighting sectarianism.
For this purpose, a common religious platform named Inter-faith Harmony Council, Pakistan was being set up, he said, adding the body would have representation down to the union council level throughout the country.
‘We are mobilizing Ulema and representatives of other religions, and streamlining the things to form and successfully operate the council. Very soon, Prime Minister Imran Khan will be given a detailed briefing on this most important national initiative,’ he re-affirmed while addressing a press conference here at Karachi Press Club.
Hafiz Ashrafi said such initiative was necessary to fight the conspiracies, provoking and terrorist acts by anti-state elements and terrorists. These forces were very active to destabilize the country politically and economically through their negative propaganda and creating hurdles in the smooth functioning of the government, which was committed to strengthen the economy, do development and improve the living standard of the people in the country, he added.
He regretted that these anti-state elements even did not spare the armed forces of the country from criticism and maligning for their personal gains. They had been trying to create rift between the government and the armed forces to weaken the country, he added. ‘The people charged with national spirit and patriotism through their unity and as a matured nation shall frustrate all your conspiracies,’ he warned the anti-state elements.
Hafiz Ashrafi alleged that India was spending millions of dollars to de-stabilize Pakistan and using different tactics for the same. He was critical on the opposition parties announcing agitation against the elected government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and had come up with country-wide programme of rallies and protests. All this, he said, would only serve the interests of outside forces who were hostile to Pakistan.
To a question, the Chairman PUC said PTI government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan would complete its tenure of five years and the opposition’s wishes and plans would not be materialized. ‘It is an old tradition, opposition political parties do give deadlines and throw rumours about end of governments, but now the people have become very matured and do not pay attention to them,’ he said.
To another media question, he said the prime minister and his team were very concerned about the sudden increase in inflation and making every effort to overcome the challenge and provide relief to the people; especially to the poor. The prime minister might make an important announcement in that regard very soon, he said. He condemned the killing Maulana Dr. Adil Khan and demanded earliest arrest the murderers. However, he was satisfied over the efforts being made by Sindh government for arresting Maulana’s killers.
‘Maulana Adil’s murder is a big tragedy and big loss to the religion and the nation,’ he remarked. He appealed to federal and the provincial governments to provide security to the ulema and other religious scholars facing life threat. He urged the people belong to different schools of thought to show unity and jointly beat the anti-social and anti-state elements promoting hatred in the name of religion.
Pakistan Ulema Council and other religious bodies and forums had already signed a code of ethics for the same, he added. He said that during his visit to Karachi, he had meetings with many Ulema and other religious scholars to further the above agenda. Hafiz Ashrafi said Pakistan was being considered an important and progressive Muslim country, and enjoyed the best relations with Arab community and other Muslim Umah in the world.
