LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami former chief Sirajul Haq has said that the nation must demonstrate unity and set aside all differences to support the armed forces, stressing the time has come to settle all scores with India.

He was addressing the annual prize distribution ceremony at a private school in Talash as the chief guest here on Sunday.

The event featured co-curricular performances by students, who received applause from the audience, while shields, trophies, and medals were awarded to position holder students for their academic performance over the past year.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Jamaat-i-Islami Lower Dir chief Maulana Asadullah Khan, tehsil chairman Mufti Irfanuddin, tehsil emir Maulana Javed Iqbal, managing director of the institution Malik Muhsin Ali, and principal Mukhtiar Ahmed Qureshi. Criticising India’s aggressive stance, Sirajul Haq said New Delhi had tried to dominate the region for the last 70 years and continued to oppress Kashmiris.

He strongly condemned recent drone strikes by India, allegedly using Israeli-made drones, calling them a direct attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty.

He praised the Pakistan Air Force for ‘destroying’ India’s air defence systems in a recent operation, saying the entire nation stood firmly behind its armed forces.

While expressing reservations about the current government, he maintained that the nation’s top priority in these testing times should be the success of the ongoing military operation.

He urged students to equip themselves with modern education to meet the challenges of the present era.

Meanwhile, two Pakistan Army soldiers, who embraced martyrdom during a militant attack in the Waziristan region, were laid to rest with full military honours in their ancestral graveyards in Nagri Payeen area of Talash and Bakht Bilanda here the other day

Hundreds of locals, including former Jamaat chief Sirajul Haq and Lower Dir chief Maulana Asadullah, attended the funeral prayers of the martyred soldier Maaz in Nagri Payeen.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Haq paid tribute to the martyred soldier, stating, “Martyrs like Maaz are our pride. Their sacrifices will never go in vain.”

Maulana Asadullah said that the death of a martyr was the life of the nation.

He also offered condolences to the bereaved family and highlighted the significance of such sacrifices for the nation’s security.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2025