LAHORE (APP): Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has stressed the need for joint efforts to restore peace and harmony in the country.
At a joint press conference, along with religious scholars and leaders from various schools of thought, here on Sunday, he said all religious leaders issued a unanimous fatwa, declaring the perpetrators as terrorists and condemning their act of killing innocent civilians.
He called on the government to take decisive action at all levels against such elements. He pointed out that the roots of terrorism in Pakistan were linked to Afghan soil and urged Afghanistan to become a good neighbour, eliminating terrorist hideouts within its borders.
He emphasised that the state, government, military, and people of Pakistan were united in the fight against terrorism, just as they were in the year 2000, and that terrorists and their facilitators would be defeated again.
Addressing the situation in Parachinar, he urged the local population to maintain peace, respect, and brotherhood, and to not let violence divide them. They stressed that mutual respect and tolerance were essential for a prosperous future.
Regarding the recent tragedy in Quetta, the PUC chairman expressed deep sorrow over the killing of 27 innocent people by terrorists. They also affirmed that the entire nation was united in the fight against terrorism and its facilitators.
He also expressed concern over the role of certain individuals who attempt to portray terrorists as missing persons while later being involved in suicide bombings. They called for these facilitators to be held accountable.
Ashrafi urged Afghanistan to take responsibility for its role in curbing terrorism and to eliminate terrorist safe havens within its borders.
He also called for mutual peace and cooperation between the two nations. He reminded Afghanistan that peace in Pakistan is integral to peace in Afghanistan, stressing that terrorism is a shared enemy and no country should support terrorists.
Maulana Maqbool Ahmad, Asadullah Farooq, Muhammad Aslam Siddiqi, Qari Abdul Hakim Athar, Mubashir Rahimi, Mufti Naseem-ul-Islam, Qari Hafeezullah, Ibrahim Hanafi, Muhammad Ahmed Maavia, and others were present.
