‘Elimination of interest-based system to boost economic activities’

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Thursday said the elimination of interest-based system would help boost economic activities in the country.

Addressing a presser, Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, thanked the government, particularly Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman who is also the head of ruling collation, Pakistan Democratic Movement and Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani ’s unflinching efforts to get rid of this anti-Islam system from our financial institutions.

The withdrawal of appeal of national and state banks against the Federal Shariat Court’s decision on Riba (interest) had infused a wave of happiness not only in the country but in the Islamic world. This bold step had raised the prestige of Pakistan in the Muslim Ummah all around the world, he added.

“It was a longstanding demand of the people to make our society free from this interest-based economic system,” he added.

In the light of Quran and Sunnah, Maulana Ashrafi said the interest-based system was in contradiction to Islam and its adaptation was considered as an open war with Allah Almighty and His last Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him.

He, on behalf of the Ulema and Mashaykh, assured the government’s team to provide all-out support to transform the economic system in accordance with Islamic laws and divine commands.

Regarding the visit of Saudi Arabia’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to Pakistan which is expected on November 21, this month, he said the Saudi Leadership was not only a state guest but he was a distinguished guest of the entire nation. “He must be given an overwhelming welcome on his arrival to Pakistan,” he urged.

Shedding light on the significance of this highly valued visit, Ashrafi said Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had three meetings with the Saudi Crown Prince in a couple of months in which they had discussed wide-range of economic cooperation including establishment of oil refinery and investment.

He informed that to highlight the importance of Pak-Saudi relations which are based on faith and belief, the Pakistan Ulema Council was organizing the fifth ‘International Conference on Message of Islam, Pak-Saudi and Islamic World Relations’ on November 16, here in the federal capital in which the most renowned religious scholars and leaders of the Muslim Ummah would participate as keynote speakers.

Terming senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif as martyr of the entire nation, Ashrafi said the culprits of his murder should be brought to justice and facts, behind his murder, should be disclosed to the nation.

He hinted that India and its intelligence agency’s influence were not hidden to anyone in Kenya. The enemy’s negative propaganda of creating anarchy and maligning the national security institutions was properly countered by the government as it has appealed to the Supreme Court to form a judicial commission on the matter.

He said nobody should be allowed to do politics on the blood of Arshad Sharif to meet his personal gains. As per reports, Arshad Sharif’s murder was a part of gigantic conspiracy and it should be investigated thoroughly, he added.

He said the sad incident of firing on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s convoy in Wazirabad was condemned by the government apparatus in its strongest terms but the way, government, Pakistan Army and national security institutions being targeted, was not acceptable at all. He said if someone had evidences, he should present in the apex court instead of fueling the anti-state agenda of maligning the national defense institutions.

He said India had launched an aggressive defamation drive against the security institutions of Pakistan which is an alarming situation for religious and political leadership of the country. (APP)