LAHORE, Dec 21: Leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and some other parties paid glowing tributes to the late Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, saying that his services to politics and religion and his unflinching stand on issues involving principles had immortalized him.

They recalled the role the leader had played in ending the eight-year disastrous war between Iran and Iraq, getting Qadianis declared non-Muslims, resisting the military dictatorship and gathering followers of various religious schools of thought on MMA’s platform.

They believed that the void caused by Maulana’s death would not be filled for a long time.

The condolence reference for Maulana Noorani was held at Jamia Muhammadia Rizvi near Firdaus Market under the chairmanship of Lt-Gen K.M. Azhar (Retired).

Pir Ijaz Hashmi, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Binyamin Rizvi, Zaeem Qadri, Farid Piracha, Allama Shabbir Ahmed Hashmi, Qari Zawwar Bahadur and Hameedudin Al Mashraqi were among the speakers.

Gen Azhar said the late Maulana Noorani had always held high the banner of Islam and democracy.

Punjab PML-N vice-president Binyamin Rizvi said the agreement the MMA was going to sign with the government was against the thinking of Maulana Noorani.

He called upon the Ulema and Mashaikh to honour their undertakings with the nation or the electorate would lose trust in leaders of religious parties.

PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafiq said Maulana Noorani’s stand on the status of LFO was unalterable. He said the death of the Maulana and ARD president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan was a great tragedy for the country.

JUP information secretary Pir Ijaz Hashmi said the JUP and the PML shared the same ideology. He said the genuine faction of the PML would be the one opposed to dictatorship.

About the efforts being made to fuse the LFO with the Constitution, Mr Hashmi said it would pollute the basic law.

JI MNA Farid Piracha said the agreement being negotiated by the MMA with the government contained not a single point that the late Maulana Noorani was not aware of. He held out an assurance that the religious alliance would not make any accord which could bring embarrassment to the coalition.

He said the MMA would continue working for the mission of Maulana Noorani.