KARACHI: Ulema Council draft to be ready in three days: Ibad
KARACHI, March 14: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad on Tuesday expressed hope that the Ulema Council, being set up in Sindh, would help streamlining the society with Islamic principles and play a leading role for uniting Muslims as well as promoting inter-faith harmony.
He was presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor’s House, which reviewed the draft to give legal status to the council.
The governor asked the home department to finalize the draft within three days and said that the proposed Ulema Council would work as a supreme advisory institution.
He said that Ulema had cooperated with the government to ensure peace in the province on various religious days. He said that the Ulema had also helped the government in promoting general feeling of unity and brotherhood in the province. This cooperation and help had encouraged him to set up the Ulema Council, he added.
Ishratul Ibad expressed hope that the Ulema Council would prove a role model for other provinces while promoting better image of Islam and Pakistan at international level, besides preaching the higher moral values of Islam. He said that the council would help spreading teachings of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) amongst the youth.
The governor said that formation of the council would also help checking the distribution of hate-based sectarian literature, aimed at misleading the youth. He said that it was the duty of Ulema to provide proper religious guidance to the youth and acquaint them with the golden principles of Islam.
He assured the meeting that the government would provide all needed help and cooperation to the council.
Explaining aims and objectives, he said that the council would spread teachings of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); publish books, magazines, pamphlets and develop websites as well as data bank to promote tolerance and harmony besides organizing lectures, workshops, seminars and talk shows for promoting Islamic values.
It would also announce prizes for the best writers on the life and teachings of the Prophet.
The council would use mosques and shrines as platforms to spread the message of peace, brotherhood, unity and tolerance. To develop a code of conduct for observance of religious festivals of other faiths would also be its responsibility.
In Ramazan, the council would encourage traders to provide daily-use commodities to the people on subsidized rates. It would also unveil the individuals and organizations, spreading sectarian hatred and anti-social and unpatriotic sentiments in the country.
The council would set up peace committees at district level. It would help improving the performance of Auqaf Department in the province. To promote understanding and harmony amongst various schools of thought of Islam, and initiating a dialogue with other faiths to promote inter-faith harmony is also a part of the mission of council.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Amir Liaquat, Sindh Minister for Religious Affairs Manzoor Panhwar, Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, Principal Secretary Saleem Khan, Law Secretary Nabi Shah, Home Secretary Rasheed Alam, Additional Secretary Javed Hanif and other senior officials attended the meeting. —PPI
