ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday that only in an Islamic republic does the state hold rights to declare armed Jihad. Speaking forthrightly in the National Assembly, the minister claimed that only the state has the sole monopoly over force in an Islamic republic, and no citizen can deem the right of calling to kill any citizen. “The jihad rulings against one another in cities and villages will make this country a war zone.” He further added that the ‘enemy wants Muslims to kill one another.’ “I request religious political leaders, clergy to denounce the Fatwas on social media.” Iqbal announced that the government will take rigorous action against individuals that involve themselves in hate crimes under cyber crime laws. He also said that no one has a right to raise questions over the faith of legislators who have taken on the declaration of Khatam-e-Nabuwwat on their oath. “No one has a franchise to judge anyone’s faith. The terror incidents remind us that we need unity in this country,” Iqbal said. In reference to the recent suicide terror attack which mercilessly killed 21 people at Jhal Magsi shrine, Iqbal was quoted as saying, “the terror incident once again remind us that unity among the nation is the need of hour.” Earlier, the National Assembly unanimously passed amendments to the Election Bill 2017, restoring a Khatm-i-Naboowat (finality of the prophethood) declaration required to be given signed consent by public office holders to its original form. The controversy had arisen when the ruling party had passed amendments to the election law earlier this week, with opposition parties making claims that the bill moved by the government had also changed the original contents of a form regarding belief in Khatm-i-Naboowat (finality of Prophethood). During a meeting called on by NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq who invited members of parliamentary parties submitting to the fact that the government had made a ‘clerical error’ in purview of the matter, the parliamentary leaders agreed to restore the declaration to the original form it was in before the National Assembly passed the Elections Bill 2017.