Daily Times

LAHORE: Quetta church attack was designed to create confrontation among believers of different religions but the entire nation is united and committed to annihilate extremism and terrorism from Pakistan, said Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, the Pakistan Ulema Council chairman.

Addressing a press conference on Monday after a joint meeting of the leadership and representatives of various religions, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi asserted that attacking the worship places of minorities in a Muslim majority country was very unfortunate. “Pakistan Ulema Council is committed to eliminating the menace of terrorism and extremism from Pakistan. Pakistan Ulema Council has already issued a decree against terrorism and extremism and also endorse operations of security forces to flush out terrorism from Pakistan,” he said.

Representatives of various religious organisations and religions including Pastor Emanuel Khokhar, Pastor Salim Akhtar Khokhar, Tahir Vicky, Mufti Umar Farooq, Maulana Zubair Zahid, Qari Abdul Hakim Athar, Maulana Mubashar Rahimi and Haji Muhammad Tayyab Qadri stated that the attack on the Quetta church was not against believers of any particular religion, but against Pakistan and the people of Pakistan. They also underlined that some conspiring elements aimed inciting hatred in the country. “However, peaceful forces will keep continue their struggle for interfaith harmony and interfaith dialogue in Pakistan,” he said.

The speakers also stated that terrorists and extremist elements were not loyal with any particular religion or religious sect. “These terrorists and extremists are not representatives of any religion, but only symbol of terror and fear in the world. Pakistan Ulema Council’s Darul Aftha has already issued decree that in a Muslim majority country, it is responsibility of the state to ensure protection of lives and properties of non-Muslims living in Muslim majority country. Elements who have been hatching conspiracies against Pakistan from Afghanistan should remember that security forces of Pakistan and people of Pakistan know very well how to defend the motherland,” they said.

Leadership of different religions at the Joint Meeting also demanded of the government to seek proactive security arrangements for worship places of all the religions in Pakistan.

Christian community of Pakistan has always played key and vital role for security and prosperity of Pakistan and it is responsibility of all the religious schools of thought and religions to play their effective role for progress and development of Pakistan.

Published in Daily Times, December 19^th 2017.