Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday appointed Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi as the Coordinator for Religious Harmony and for the Pakistani Diaspora in the Middle East and Muslim Countries.

The PUC is a broad coalition of clerics from various Sunni schools of thought.

Ashrafi, also a member of the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League and other Islamic organisations, has been given the appointment at a critical time, given the evolving situation in the Muslim world and the strategic importance of relations with the Gulf nations and other Islamic countries.

Talking to Dawn, he said that under the new role, he will be responsible for strengthening coordination, enhancing mutual understanding and further improving Pakistan’s relations with Islamic and Arab states, mainly the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

“This is because I have maintained close and longstanding ties with leading Islamic scholars and senior leaders of the Arab and Muslim world,” Ashrafi said, adding, “And the reason for this close coordination is that I always talk about the issues and the problems faced by Pakistan are similar to those faced by other Muslim countries.”

“We face terror in the form of the TTP (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) and the Arab countries face terror threats from Daesh (Islamic State); we need to have a collective stance against terror groups – this is the need of the time to counter the image problem faced by the Muslim world in the West,“ he added

His appointment reflects the government’s commitment to advancing religious harmony locally and advancing constructive engagement with the Muslim world to counter extremism, as well as enhancing Pakistan’s non-commercial role in the Middle East.

Ashrafi has held similar positions in past governments; he previously served as a special representative and brings extensive experience in religious diplomacy, interfaith engagement and international outreach.