PESHAWAR, Jan 31: Federal Minister for Political Affairs Amir Muqam has said that Ulema and intellectuals would have to rise to the occasion to shun growing terrorist tendencies by building up a mass awareness campaign to this effect.

Addressing a public gathering at Hazarkhani Chowk here on Wednesday, the federal minister who is also the president of the PML, NWFP, said religious scholars and opinion-makers should come forward and supplement government's policies aimed at purging the society of extremists and terrorists.

He called upon all segments of society to foil efforts of anti-state elements that are out to weak the country for their political interests.

The elements involved in suicide attacks and other sabotage acts were in fact no service to Islam rather they were bringing bad name to the religion and the country. “Our religion Islam does not permit violence in any form and manifestation as it propagates peace, amity and tolerance among every school of thought,” he maintained.

He assured that culprits involved in the recent suicidal attacks would be brought to book and praised in high esteem outstanding role played by the NWFP police in frustrating evil designs of terrorists.