10 October 2004	Sunday	24 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 9: Eminent ulema and mashaikh of Ahle Sunnah have criticized the NWFP Assembly resolution which calls for the abolition of Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.

In a joint statement issued here on Saturday, the religious scholars described it as a conspiracy to cause harm to Pakistan's relations with Saudi Arabia.

Besides abolition of the committee, the resolution suggested that instead of subjecting advent of a lunar month to the sighting of moon, Pakistan should follow the dates decided by Saudi Arabia. The resolution, was moved by the Awami National Party, was adopted unanimously on Thursday.

The Ahle Sunnah statement said it seemed that the ANP had hijacked the NWFP Assembly and was trying to divert the MMA towards sectarianism. "This resolution is a deep-rooted conspiracy aimed at imposing views of a particular school of thought on the entire population of the country... such a conspiracy will be foiled with full force," it vowed.

The statement maintained: "Pakistan is a sovereign Islamic republic fully capable to take any decision in accordance with law and Shariah."

Criticizing the MMA for looking to Saudi Arabia in relation to Islamic calendar, the religious scholars reminded the alliance that it had occasionally been accusing Islamabad of receiving dictates from abroad and rejecting the policy.

The statement also criticized MNA Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain for supporting the resolution publicly, saying that he was playing the role of a spokesman for the MMA and NWFP Assembly despite having been elected on a Muttahida Qaumi Movement ticket from a constituency that appeared, as it claimed, a stronghold of the Ahle Sunnah. "It seems as if he has been elected from Wana constituency on an MMA ticket," said the statement.

According to the statement, the ulema have lodged a protest with the MQM chief Altaf Hussain and the party's coordination committee against the MNA's constant criticism of the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee after being inducted as minister.

They urged the MQM to explain its position viz-a-viz the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and nominate some other person to replace the minister.

The religious scholars who have signed the statement included Allama Ghulam Mohammad Sayyalvi, Mufti Mohammad Hussain Haqqani, Maulana Mohammad Rehan Qaderi, Mufti Mohammad Jan Naeemi, Mufti Razaul Mustafa Aazmi and Mufti Mohammad Aslam Naeemi.