Daily Times

Islamabad Declaration’ will reinforce the struggle for annihilation of terrorism, extremism and sectarian violence from the country, said Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. Talking to visiting delegates from different religious schools of thought, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi announced that 4th ‘International Message of Islam Conference” will be held on 3rd March 2019 at Convention Center, Islamabad. The conference will be attended by 5000 leading scholars, ulemas and mashaykh from all over Pakistan and around the Muslim world. Menace of terrorism and extremism has caused serious challenges for the Muslim world, said Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi adding that Muslim youth is being misled with non-Shariah and unIslamic decrees. The Conference, with consent of leading Islamic scholars, will devise a mechanism on prevailing challenges of Muslim world.

Amid prevailing scenario, it is responsibility of clerics, ulemas and mashaykh of Muslim Ummah to educate the public with teachings of Quran-O-Sunnah by using modern communication tools. Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi also added that ‘Islamabad Declaration’ on 6th January 2019 has denounced all sorts of terrorism and extremism and that 2019 will be observed to mark the year for ‘eradication of terrorism, extremism and sectarian violence from Pakistan.’

Since its inception, Pakistan Ulema Council has been raising voice for the cause of peace, stability and religious harmony in the country. The Council has constituted Dar-ul-Afta to keep check on issuance of non-Shariah decrees. Dar-ul-Afta Pakistan will start working from 23rd March 2019. Hafiz also announced that Central Executive Body of Pakistan Ulema Council has decided to support the government on positive undertakings for the country. He also added that Paigham-e-Islam Conventions will be held on part of Pakistan Ulema Council all over the country in the months of January and February. He insisted that Paigham-e-Pakistan draft is a positive move and the government should start consultative process for legislation of Paigham-e-Pakistan draft.

On the occasion, Maulana Qazi Matiullah Saeedi, Maulana Pir Habibur Rehman Shahjehani, Maulana Shafi Qasmi, Allama Tahirul Hassan and Maulana Zubair Zahid were also present.

Published in Daily Times, January 9^th 2019.