KARACHI, Feb 1: Political and religious leaders attending a conference on peace, tolerance and religious harmony here on Wednesday appealed followers of all sects to remain peaceful to foil any bid by anti-peace and anti-Islam elements to create a law and order situation in the holy month of Muharram.

The conference, organized by the Jamaat-i-Islami at its Karachi office, Idara Noor-i-Haq, was addressed by leaders of various political and religious parties and ulema belonging to all schools of thought.

JI’s Naib Amir, Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, who is also a central leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) was to preside over the conference, but he could not arrive in the city from Islamabad due to some problems.

Apart from several resolutions adopted by the conference, a joint declaration was read out at the end of the deliberations. The declaration urged every Muslim in Pakistan to remain peaceful during Muharram and respect each others’ beliefs. It called upon the government to take all precautionary measures to ensure safety and security of citizens.

The resolutions unanimously adopted at the conference condemned the recent US missile attack in Bajaur Agency, actions being taken against madressahs, holding of mixed marathons, the government’s inaction viz-a-viz publication of blasphemous sketches by a Danish newspaper, and the West’s pressure on Hamas after the latter’s victory in Palestinian election.

The conference termed the US missile attack in Bajaur agency an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty and autonomy, and accused Islamabad of keeping a criminal silence over the issue.

It asked the government to seek an apology from the US administration for killing 18 innocent Pakistanis and an assurance that no such incident of the violation of Pakistani space and attack would be resorted to in the future.

The moot condemned the government for exerting pressure on religious seminaries through expulsion of their foreign students and victimization of ulema. It warned the government against meddling in the affairs of madressahs, and vowed to resist all such moves tooth and nail.

Condemning the government’s discreet silence over the issue of blasphemous sketches in a Danish newspaper, it asked the rulers in Islamabad to follow the example of Saudi and Libyan governments which had called back their envoys and closed missions in the Scandinavian country.

Earlier, speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Shia Ulema Council Allama Hasan Turabi said the Ummah was challenged by the West at all fronts but the governments of certain Muslim countries were supporting the aggressors as against their innocent people.

He noted that the rulers in Islamabad were bent upon transforming the country into a secular state by holding mixed marathons and promoting western ideology.

Amir of JI, Karachi, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui deplored that while Muslims all over the world were protesting against the publication of blasphemous sketches in the Danish newspaper, the Pakistan government had kept a mum.

He said that the Ummah was passing through a very crucial phase at the moment as Iran was facing the threat of invasion by the US and its allies and Israel was continuing to suppress Palestinian Muslims. He pointed out that Hamas was being forced to recognize Israel.

Mufti Usmanyar Khan of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-S appreciated the show of unity by different sects at the conference, and called for sectarian harmony throughout the country during the holy month of Muharram.

Hafiz Mohammad Taqi of the Markazi Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (MJUP) said that ulema should preach peace, harmony and tolerance among their followers as this would help them promote the Islamic norms, values and traditions that were threatened by the rulers.

Maulana Abdul Karim Abid of JUI, Qazi Ahmed Noorani of JUP, Maulana Abdur Rauf of JI and other leaders representing various political and religious parties and organizations were among others who spoke at the conference.—PPI