ISLAMABAD, June 23: The Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed has termed the Iraq war illegal and immoral and said extremism and terrorism had no religion.

He said war against terrorism was focused on Muslims and Islam, and double standard of the West had aggravated the situation.

He was speaking at a reception hosted by him for a six-member delegation of Muslim Council of Britain.

The delegation of Muslim Council of Britain is led by Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Chairman Muslim Council of Britain and comprised Mr Akram Khan Cheema, Mr Asim Siddiqui, Ms Bano Murtaja, Ms Shaheda Vawda and Ms Sara Khan.

He said the issue of relationship between Islam and the West was the foremost challenge of time and that recognition of the diversity and plurality of different cultures was the need of the hour.

Senator Mushahid said that despite diversity and plurality of cultures, people in UK resided very peacefully. However, he said that after 9/11, certain events in UK created a gulf between Islam and the West.

He said that human values were not being upheld, rather, these values were being violated under the pretext of terrorism and extremism. He said that it was a matter of satisfaction that the US President Bush had given an indication that prison camp “Guantanamo Bay” would be closed and the prisoners would be sent to their respective countries.

The leader of Muslim Council of Britain Chairman Muslim Council of Britain thanked Senator Hussain and the members of Senate Committee for hosting the reception. He said that the delegation, during its stay in Pakistan would meet people from various walks of life and discuss the issues confronting the Muslims.

The reception was also attended by Ch Shujaat Hussain, former prime minister and president of PML, Deputy Chairman Senate, Mir Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali, ministers of state Tariq Azim Khan, Mohammad Naseer Mengal and Mushtaq Victor, Senators MNAs, Ulema, Mashaikhs, Intellectuals, senior journalists and think tanks also attended the reception.