LAHORE: The Jamaat-i-Islami wants an overseeing body of religious parties and seminaries to 'monitor' proposed talks between the government and the Taliban and to counter attempts to 'sabotage' the peace efforts. It also considers it necessary to disown the methodology of forcible enforcement of Shariah.

"The religious parties should hold seminars, conferences and public meetings under the supervision of the Wifaqul Madaris (seminaries' association) so that the government may not get a chance to give an impression that the Taliban understand only the language of gun," JI Amir Syed Munawar Hasan said here on Friday.

The religious parties' committee, he suggested, should guide the Taliban (about the right way to enforce Shariah) and to present the correct religious viewpoint on Shariah. He said the Wifaqul Madaris should not only monitor the talks but also play its role to remove the confusion to avoid deadlock in the dialogue process with the ultimate goal of ending terrorism and restoring peace.

Hasan alleged the US and India would try to sabotage the talks. He said the unity of religious parties was also essential to effectively counter the propaganda in the media and support the talks process. He said it was essential (for the religious parties) to disown the elements who believed that Shariah could be enforced through gun.

The Shariah, he said, be enforced only through the implementation of the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.

"There is no difference of opinion on enforcement of Shariah although there may be differences on the mode of its enforcement."