Daily Times

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Interfaith Harmony Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said that dialogue was best option to settle conflicts.

He said this in a ceremony on promotion of interfaith harmony held under auspices of South Punjab Multi-Stakeholder Working Group and Signify organization, here on Sunday.

The basic theme of the event was to discuss ways to maintain and promote interfaith harmony. Allama Tahir Ashrafi maintained that nation had to stand against extremism. The incumbent government strongly believed in resolving issues through dialogue process.

About Murree incident, Ashrafi regretted and appealed citizens not to share pictures of deceased persons on social media.

The government will punish the officials found involve in expressing negligence, he hinted. Ashrafi, however, paid tribute to Pakistan Army for rendering swift services towards the people stranded in Murree amid extreme weather. He also lauded the welcoming gesture shown by administration of different religious seminaries to serve the stranded people.

Responding to religious seminaries role in promotion of interfaith harmony, the special assistant to PM stated that the religious seminaries were being linked to Ministry of Education.

Ashrafi hailed conduct of OIC foreign ministers meeting in Islamabad. He termed it huge success of the government and foreign ministry as whole Muslim Ummah stood united on issue of Afghanistan.

There is no concept of forced marriage in Islam, said Tahir Ashrafi and also added Islam gives right to woman to contract marriage after her own choice. The main message of Pigham-e-Pakistan is peace and one should not interfere into others’ creed.

Responding to a question about government’s viewpoint about Madinah Masjid, Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi remarked that the government, through attorney general, presented it viewpoint. He however hinted that Masjid or Graveyards could not be demolish without any “Sharie” reason.

About recommendation of Paigham-e-Pakistan, the special assistant to prime minister Allama Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi remarked that recommendations of Paigham-e-Pakistan would be made part of constitution. He stated that Babar Awan was working to convert recommendations into legal shape.

Federal Parliamentary Secretary on Finance Zain Qureshi, in his online address, heaped praise on South Punjab Multi-Stake Holder Group for its efforts to promote peace in the region.

Director General Paigham-e-Pakistan Dr Muhammad Zia ul Haq, Provincial Parliamentary Secretary on Information and Culture Nadeem Qureshi, VC Women University Uzma Qureshi, Zain Baloch and many other notables addressed the seminar. They stated that struggles for promotion of interfaith harmony should be encouraged.