Daily Times

Speakers at a ceremony held here at the Governor’s House on Tuesday urged the people belonging to all segments of society to play their part in development and stability of the country by forging unity, harmony, tolerance and brotherhood.

An orientation ceremony of Paigham-e-Pakistan was held at the Governor’s House in Lahore, attended by Punjab Governor Ch Sarwar, provincial ministers, religious scholars, political leaders, civil society members and faculty members and students from different religious seminaries and universities.

Addressing the participants, the speakers said Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative, which is based on a consensus decree by 5,000 clerics and aims at establishment of peace in the country and eradication of extremism and terrorism in the light of Quran, Sunnah and social principles of Islamic Shariah, is a beacon of hope for all segments of the society. They said the Paigham-e-Pakistan narrative is key to countering extremism and a way forward for the country to march on the path of peace and prosperity, adding that the unanimous fatwa and joint declaration against extremism and terrorism reflects unity and religious responsibility of the eminent scholars of all schools of thoughts in the country to counter the menace of terrorism and extremism in the society.

The speakers said the narratives of extremism, hate and terrorism can’t be defeated nor can peace and stability be promoted without adhering to an inclusive approach, for which the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative of the government of Pakistan can prove to be a leading light and the way forward. They called for giving legal cover to the national counter-terrorism narrative so that it can be propagated more forcefully at the national as well as international level. The speakers maintained that setting up an inclusive society with equal access to opportunities and justice for all, participatory decision-making and special attention to the rights of the youth and the women is imperative to establish sustainable peace and harmony and eradicate the menaces of violence, abuse, extremism and terrorism. They stressed the need to infuse in the education system of Pakistan a diversity of opinion and the tools to develop ethical values among students.

The speakers called for promoting the true message of humanity given in the ‘Charter of Madina’ for salvage of the society caught up in the clash of interests. They stressed the need to follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) whose life is a complete guidance and a source of inspiration for every Muslim irrespective of his age, creed or geographical background.