KARACHI, March 4: The Governor's House Sindh will be the venue of a big convention of Ulema and Mashaikh to be held here on March 8.

Addressing a press conference, with State Minister for Religious Affairs, Aamir Liaquat, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad said the convention is the follow-up of the President's directive to hold Ulema and Mashaikh conferences in all the four provinces.

He said that Sindh is the first province to take an initiative in this regard and hold this conference on the topic of "religious harmony, sectarian understanding and elimination of terrorism".

The governor pointed out that Ulema and Mashaikh play a leading role in augmenting the government's efforts for promoting religious harmony and to check problems of difference among various schools of thought.

He said testimony to this fact was seen during the observance of Muharram-ul-Haram which passed off peacefully, mainly because of cooperation and coordination of Ulema and its sanctity was maintained to the extent that not a single incident occurred between followers of various schools of thought anywhere throughout the province.

Dr Ishratul Ibad, through the media, highly appreciated the Ulema for their role. He said another objective of holding this conference is to washout the impression created to tarnish the image of Islam and Pakistan at the international level in different back drops. He said this objective cannot be achieved without the cooperation of Ulema and Mashaikh.

He said the President, Prime Minister and the entire administration is seized with this objective and results, thereof, are coming to the fore. The governor said Pakistan's economy is improving, indicators are positive, investment is forthcoming and industrialisation growing.

He cited the one example of Nooriabad Industrial Estate where, he informed, some 50 units are functioning as against 25 functioning a year back. He said the same was the situation in Thatta and other areas of Sindh.

He described the obtaining environment as highly conducive with reference to Islamic perception and to tell the world that Islam is the religion of peace and understanding.

He said these are the objectives which have to be further augmented to bring an end to extremism and to create a right direction of mindset among the young generation. He said if islamic teachings are kept in the fore with rightful interaction at various tiers of social life, most of the ills can be eliminated from the society.

Dr Ibad said these things will be openly debated in the Ulema and Mashaikh conference so that Islamic ideology is followed rightly and Muslim's identity is projected in the world as an educated and well-behaved nation.

Addressing the press conference State Minister for Religious Affairs Aamer Liaquat Hussain said noted religious scholar, Pir Naqibur Rehman, will be specially coming to the conference for leading a collective "Dua". -APP