ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a conference on Sunday said that international forces were conspiring against Pakistan in order to weaken it by fanning internal conflicts and differences. “Under an organised international conspiracy, huge amounts are being spent to stoke violent extremism, terrorism and sectarianism in Pakistan,” Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Member Shahzad Faisal Riaz Qasmi said in his address to Paigham-e-Pakistan: Ishq-e-Rasool (SAW) Conference at Mirpur in Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The event was organised by Anjuman Muhibban-e-Tareeqat International Mohra Sharif. CII Member Shahzad Faisal Riaz Qasmi said a network of hostile agencies working in Pakistan has caused the martyrdom of over 70,000 innocent civilians and around 10,000 personnel of the Armed Forces of Pakistan, including military, Rangers, FC, police and other law enforcement agencies, in bomb blasts and suicide attacks. “Fearful of Pakistan’s defense and nuclear capabilities, the enemies had been using the more dangerous weapon of violent extremism and sectarianism to divide and weaken the nation on religious lines,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s Armed Forces have fully exposed this international conspiracy hatched by the hostile agencies before the world. “The organised network of hostile agencies has been destroyed. Operation Raddul Fassad is very successfully going on against the terrorists as well as their facilitators,” he said. Shahzad Faisal Riaz Qasmi said to rid the country of terrorism and violent extremism once and for all, over 5,000 religious scholars and clerics belonging to different schools of thought have drafted a national narrative – Paigham-e-Pakistan – which portrays a soft and positive image of Pakistan and highlights Islam as a religion of peace, brotherhood, tolerance and harmony. “The Paigham-e-Pakistan narrative is in fact a description and explanation of our religion through which the nation has been advised to lead a peaceful life by adhering to Islam’s principles of peace, brotherhood, tolerance, equity, equality and forgiveness,” he said, adding that it is the religious, national and moral responsibility of every citizen that he follows the national narrative and contributes towards establishment of a peaceful society. Qasmi also urged religious clerics, scholars, ulema, mashaikh and notables of the society to play their part in making Pakistan a citadel of peace, stability and tranquility. “Muslim nations across the world have pinned high hopes on Pakistan. We have always promoted international Muslim brotherhood by raising voice against atrocities being committed against Muslims across the globe, due to which other oppressed nations also give high respect to Pakistan,” he said. Other speakers stressed the need to promote inter-sect harmony and religious tolerance in the society in order to ensure peace and tranquility. They emphasised the need to follow a code of conduct to eradicate extremism from the society and encourage peace, tolerance, unity and brotherhood, which will in turn help thwart the nefarious designs of the enemies who are hell bent on dividing the Muslim Ummah on religious, sectarian and ethnic lines in order to make it weaker. Throwing light on the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative of the government, they termed it the best tool to deal with the growing extremism and intolerance in the society. They said the document was the best depiction of the holy Quran, Sunnah and social principles of the Islamic Shariah and by applying these golden principles, “we can turn our country into a role model of peace and harmony”. Published in Daily Times, September 17th 2018.