KARACHI, June 25: The Chancellor of the Jamia Binnoria A’almia, Mufti Muhammad Naeem, has said the murder of the jamia’s renowned and research scholar, Mufti Attiq-ur-Rehman, is not the outcome of sectarianism but a calculated conspiracy and target killing. Giving the government a 72-hour ultimatum to arrest Mufti Attiq’s killers and present them in the court, he said the ulema reserved the right to protest if the authorities failed to do so.

He expressed these views at a high-level meeting, held on Friday at the Jamia to review the situation in the wake of the murder of Mufti Attiq-ur-Rehman.

The meeting was attended by Maulana Ghulam Rasool, Maulana Abdul Majid, Shaikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Abdul Hameed, Mufti Abdullah, and other ulema, said a spokesman for the Jamia.

The meeting expressed its heartfelt sorrow and grief over the murder of Mufti Attiq-ur-Reman and Qari Irshad-ul-Haq. Condemning the target killing and terrorism, some important decisions were taken at the meeting, the spokesman said.

Mufti Naeem said, “Although martyrdom is a great gift from Allah, which is bestowed only on those He loves; however, with the passing away of Mufti Attiq-ur-Rehman, a big gulf has been created. His valuable services to the Jamia Binnoria and the Muslim Ummah are unforgettable.”

Criticizing the government, particularly the Sindh government Mufti Naeem said that from last many years renowned and righteous Ulema of the country had brutally been targeted in the country, but their killers were not yet arrested, which was no less than a tragedy.

The jamia’s chancellor said the present leadership of Pakistan had miserably failed; and confusion, lawlessness, sense of deprivation, bomb blasts and target killings were a proof to their failure.

He held the central and provincial government responsible for repeated bomb blasts, target killings, particularly of the ulema, renowned muftis, and said the recent murder of Mufti Attiq-ur-Reman was a continuation of the murders of the ulema.

Mufti Naeem pointed out that thousands of law enforcing personnel sprang into action even if crackers were exploded in the way of the rulers, with thousands of innocent people rounded up for interrogation.

Mufti Naeem warned the Sindh government for not honouring its any commitment made with the ulema, adding that so far not a single anti-social element was arrested, which had encouraged terrorists, and they had lost a good colleague.

The meeting also decided to file a case against the government in the International Court of Justice for its failure to control the worsening law and order situation, and to arrest anti-social elements involved in the killings of religious scholars.