LAHORE: Taking a slightly different position from their traditional view point, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Syed Munawar Hasan Friday said that neither bombings (airstrikes) can help restore peace nor suicide attacks could pave way for the enforcement of Islamic Shariah.

Addressing the congregation of Friday prayers at Mansoora mosque – the JI headquarters – he said that religious forces, especially Deobandi clerics should step forward and pave way for dialogue to save the country and also to prevent the emergence of a wrong image of Islam.

The JI chief alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) did not hold peace talks with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) upon pressure asserted by the United States.

Defending the Pakistani Taliban’s ideology, he said the notion that Taliban do not comply with law and constitution was propaganda that was being spread for some ‘special purpose’.

“The government was fulfilling a longstanding wish of the US by destroying North Waziristan.”

Hasan said if the religious forces did not rise at this moment, they would be driven to a blind alley and would have no way out.

He claimed the religious parties had played a key role in framing the 1973 constitution, and it was their duty at this juncture to protect the country and the constitution.

“A charge sheet has been issued against the religious parties and they would have to answer that.”

The JI chief said that enemies had always used the differences between the Islamic sects and schools of thought as a weapon.

“The need of the hour is that the Ulema (clerics) of Deobandi school of thought sit down with the Shias, the Ahle Hadith, and Ahle Sunnah to evolve an effective strategy to counter the current campaign against Islam.”

Therefore, he added, it was the duty of the religious forces to go ahead with the talks with the Taliban.

“Since a majority of the Taliban belongs to the Deobandi school of thought, it was for the Deobandi Ulema to take up this responsibility,” he said.