PESHAWAR: Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) has urged the government to get a decree from religious scholars against suicide attacks for eradication of terrorism in the country.

Speaking at a condolence reference, held in Peshawar Press Club in connection with chehlum of Army Public School students here on Sunday, MQP central leader Dr Farooq Sattar said that religious scholars would have to speak against Taliban openly. He said that those, who admitted killing innocent students, could not be called Muslims and fighters of Islam.

MQM parliamentary leader in National Assembly Abdul Rashid Godil, Central Rabta Committee member Aslam Shah Afridi, provincial president Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif and relatives of APS students also spoke on the occasion.

Mr Sattar said that the fire of terrorism spread to the nook and corner of the country owing to negligence of the successive governments. He said that MQM chief Altaf Hussain had already warned of arrival of anti-state elements but none of the rulers bothered to pay attention to it.

He said only the law enforcement agencies and military courts could not control the situation unless the entire nation, community police and volunteers joined hands against terrorists.

The MQM leader also stressed the need for bringing reforms in religious seminaries and end to double standard of education and injustices in the society. The most important thing, he said, would be a decree of religious against terrorism so that the confusion of good and bad Taliban could be removed effectively.

“It is need of the hour to draw a line against all kinds of Taliban and get rid of the menace once for all,” Mr Sattar said and added that Pakistan had fought three wars against India but it did not lose so many lives which were lost in the war against terrorism.

Suggests reforms in seminaries, end to social injustice

The MQM leader also urged the federal and provincial governments to develop close coordination to win the war.

He said revival of local government bodies, community policing and chowkidari system was basic requirement for success in the war against terrorims, sectarianism, radicalisation and extremism.

He demanded of the government to award Nishan-i-Haider to the killed students and Sitara-i-Imtiaz to the city of Peshawar to realise their sacrifices in the war against terrorism.

Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Rashid Godil described the APS incident tantamount to debacle of East Pakistan as both the incidents took place on Dec 16. “Had the successive governments paid attention to the suggestions of MQP chief Altaf Hussain, the country would have never lost lives of thousands of its people,” he said.

Aslam Shah Afridi said on the occasion that cold blooded murder of children had saddened the entire nation which also led his party to hold condolence references in Peshawar to share the grief of the parents and Pakhtuns of the province. He said that Taliban could not pressurise Pakhtuns by killing their children as they would continue to fight against terrorists at all costs.

Barrister Saif said that Taliban were unforgivable (without discrimination) as they were involved in shedding blood of innocent people which was not permitted in Islam. He said only two per cent terrorists had held 98 per cent of the population hostage at gunpoint. The parents were represented by Mohammad Nawaz, Shakil Yousufzai and Sherhryar, who blamed the government for using delaying tactics to send the injured students abroad for medical treatment.

Published in Dawn January 26th , 2015

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