President Arif Alvi said Monday terrorism, extremism, sectarian violence, killings, and vandalism in the name of religion were against Islam, as he stressed on the need for religious harmony across the country. Addressing the Wahdat-e-Ummat conference held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Alvi said that all schools of thought and religious leaders have declared their non-allegiance with terrorism in the name of religion. “No speaker, preacher, or zakir will insult the prophets, Ahl-al-Bait in their speech,” he said, adding: “If someone makes blasphemous remarks then all schools of thought will declare their disassociation with that preacher.” The president said that blasphemy should be dealt with according to the law and that no Islamic sect should be declared non-Muslim. No Muslim or non-Muslim should be killed extra-judicially, he said, adding that the publication and distribution of provocative material should also be prohibited. Only the fatwas issued in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah will be considered valid, the president said. “No one will insult Holy Prophet (PBUH) companions, the righteous caliphs, the wives of the Prophet (PBUH),” he said. The government should crackdown on those who insult the places of worship of minorities and their lives and property, the president stressed. President Arif Alvi stressed upon further promotion of religious harmony and unity among all ranks of the society as Pakistan had reached to a tipping point from where it was heading towards a brighter future. He underscored the important role of ulema and mashaikhs in the society, urging them to continue playing their role in foiling all evil designs aimed at sowing seeds of religious disharmony and discord in the society. The president referring to the efficacy of making collective efforts and response of the nation during coronavirus pandemic, observed that such joint efforts always led to positive results. Ulema and Mashaikhs enjoyed deep influence in a society as people attentively listened to their words, he added. He observed that from history, it was evident whenever Muslims rose to prominence, it was always on the basis of pursuits of high principles and values and it was still his firm conviction that they would rise again. The conference was attended by a large number of Ulema and Mashaikhs belonging to different schools of thoughts. Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri and number of ambassadors were also present. The objective of holding the conference was to further promote religious harmony and making of efforts to end sectarianism. The president said Pakistan had learnt from the bitter experiences of the past and was the only country in the world which had defeated terrorism and overcome religious hatred. “We had been through it. A large number of people sacrificed their lives. Now we are moving ahead. Pakistan is the sole country in the world which has defeated terrorism. Even the US had tried but failed,” he added. Now, India was falling into that pitch due to increasing trend of religious hatred and strife in the society, he added. The president also regretted that on the international scene, the principles were driven not on the basis of morality but on economic gains. The president also appreciated Prime Minister Imran Khan for candidly presenting at the United Nations, the abiding affection and esteem of the Muslims for the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). He further said that each word in the Holy Quran guided them through life and advised them against creation of any differences among people. The president cautioned that differences on the basis of ignorance often led to extremist views and sentiments which should be strongly discouraged. Quoting an incident from the life of founding father Quaid Azam, the president said that he was a strong advocate of interfaith harmony. He always stressed upon shunning of all differences which could led to disagreement in the society, he added. He said religious rights of the minorities in Pakistan were equally protected. The president noted that in the past Muslim countries had suffered from huge losses due to internal strife and differences. He said further efforts should be made to promote interfaith harmony in the country, so that their case over Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine could draw further audience.