LAHORE:Speakers at a Seerat conference held here on Sunday unanimously said that there’s an ongoing attempt to foment religious discord in Pakistan and incidents like those occurred in Jaranwala, Sargodha, Karachi, and Hyderabad were part of this deliberate campaign.

Participants in the moot, representing diverse religious faiths and political organisations, demanded that those responsible for these heinous acts should be brought to justice without discrimination.

Over 500 scholars and religious leaders attended the event, presided over by Pakistan Ulema Council chairman and president of the International Interfaith Harmony Council Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi.

A declaration issued at the conclusion of the moot expressed wholehearted support for the nation’s armed forces, security agencies, and the government’s proactive measures to ensure the safety and stability of the county. It said the recent attacks in Hangu, Mastung, and other places aim to reintroduce terrorism into Pakistan and all political and religious organisations must unite to safeguard the country’s security and stability.

It said the non-Muslims residing in Pakistan should not be labeled as minorities but as non-Muslims and demanded the government promptly address the issues concerning the worship places of Ahmedis by engaging them in a dialogue to approve designs of their places of worship, and register them similarly to places of worship of other religious groups to resolve this matter conclusively.

Every school of thought in Pakistan and elsewhere has declared suicide bombings as unlawful in Shariah, while no religion permits the killing of innocent individuals, it said, adding those involved in killing Muslims in the name of Islam are considered Khwaraj, unequivocally condemned in the Quran and Hadith. The incidents in Hangu, Bajaur, Peshawar, and other places have demonstrated that the perpetrators of terrorism have no regard for human lives and the nation stands in unwavering unity with the state in holding these individuals accountable for their actions.

Pakistan’s religious scholars and organisations extend their solidarity to the people of Palestine and Kashmir and earnestly appeal to the international community to support the oppressed Palestinians and Kashmiris at every possible level and resolve the two issues as per UN resolutions.

The declaration said the people hoped that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa would reform the justice system and resolve long-standing cases pending in the Supreme Court for decades as numerous cases related to blasphemy have lingered in the courts for many years.

It said the trials of individuals involved in Jaranwala and Sargodha incidents should also be expedited to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

The participants also strongly condemned the suicide attack in Ankara, Turkey, and deplored the desecration of the Quran in Sweden, Denmark, and other places and appealed to both the European Union and the United Nations to take appropriate measures against such disrespectful acts.

They decided to organise gatherings against terrorism, extremism, and intolerance in Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, and Islamabad during the ongoing month.

The speakers included Bishop Asad Marshal, Father Iamanual Khokar, Allama Abdul Haq Mujahid, Maulana Rafiq Jami, Maulana Muhammad Khan Laghari, Maulana Asadullah Farooq, Allama Zubair Abid, Allama Tahirul Hassan, Maulana Ubaidullah Gurmani, Mufti Umar Farooq, Mufti Falaksher, Mufti Syed Naseemul Islam, and Maulana Ishfaq Patafi.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023