PESHAWAR: Urging the nation to remain united to face challenges, Pakistan Ulema Council chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi on Thursday stressed the need for implementing the Constitution in letter and spirit.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club alongside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief Khateeb Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Maulana Ruhullah Madani, Syed Yousaf Shah of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Sami-ul-Haq Group), Maulana Muhammad Shoaib and Dr Shamsur Rehman Shams, Ashrafi said Pakistan had made immense sacrifices for Islam and Muslims and called for national unity to confront current challenges.
He said Pakistan had emerged stronger in the face of recent regional developments and credited the country’s armed forces for safeguarding national security. He also urged the nation to remain united against forces seeking to undermine peace and stability.
Paying tribute to the martyrs of Balochistan and other parts of the country, Ashrafi welcomed the peaceful observance of Muharram across Pakistan and praised the implementation of the code of conduct during the month.
He appealed to people to respect sectarian differences, saying, “Do not abandon your own school of thought, but do not interfere with that of others.”Condemning terrorism and extremism, Ashrafi said Islam did not permit the killing of innocent people and reaffirmed the role of religious scholars in promoting peace and serving the country. He also expressed support for the federal government and the armed forces in efforts aimed at ensuring Pakistan’s security and stability.
Speaking on the occasion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Khateeb Maulana Tayyab Qureshi said Muharram had passed peacefully due to cooperation among religious scholars, the public, police and other institutions. He said the ulema of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rendered immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and declared that terrorism and attacks against the Pakistan Army were un-Islamic.
The press conference concluded with special prayers for the country’s security personnel and civilians who lost their lives in terrorist attacks, as well as for Pakistan’s peace, unity and prosperity.
