ISLAMABAD:Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council and Coordinator of the National Paigham-e-Aman Committee, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said Islam is a religion of knowledge, peace and humanity, and that banning girls’ education is contrary to Islamic Shariah.
Addressing students at Iqra Pioneer College in Daska, he said while girls were being deprived of education in Afghanistan, terrorist elements associated with Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan in Pakistan were targeting innocent girls.
He described the attack on a girls’ college in Nushki as an act against humanity and a grave assault on the future of Balochistan’s daughters.
He said anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan terrorist groups sought to mislead the younger generation by invoking the Quran, Sunnah and Islamic Shariah. Their terrorist ideologies and actions, he stressed, had no connection with Islam. He said these groups, acting as instruments of hostile forces, wanted to plunge Pakistan into the chaos and insecurity experienced by Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia. However, he expressed confidence that, by the grace of Allah, the sacrifices of the Pakistan Armed Forces and national unity, these conspiracies would fail. “We have defeated terrorism before and will defeat it again,” he said.
Ashrafi said the guiding principles of the Pakistan Army were faith, piety and jihad in the way of Allah. He said the country’s brave officers and soldiers prayed to Allah for martyrdom even during their late-night prayers. He added that anti-Pakistan forces were attempting to create divisions between the nation and the armed forces through social media, rumours and negative propaganda, but these conspiracies would never succeed.
He said Pakistan had earned exceptional respect and standing in the Muslim world and internationally following Marka-e-Haq. He praised Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his valuable services towards global peace, regional stability and unity of the Muslim Ummah. He also said Pakistan was playing an important role alongside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the defence and protection of Haramain Sharifain.
He said attacks by Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia were, according to him, part of a conspiracy to force the Kingdom to recognise Israel and to have Makkah Mukarramah and Madinah Munawwarah declared open cities.
He said these designs would never succeed and that the entire Muslim world stood with the leadership and people of Saudi Arabia.
Ashrafi said the National Paigham-e-Aman Committee was a unanimous national platform representing religious scholars and spiritual leaders from all schools of thought, as well as leaders of different faiths. He said the committee was actively working to eliminate terrorism, extremism and sectarianism while promoting dialogue, tolerance and national unity.
He urged young people to focus on education, research and character-building and to work for Pakistan’s stability by rising above all forms of prejudice.
On the occasion, Mian Manzoor Ahmed, Patron-in-Chief of Iqra Pioneer College, and Ahmed Mir, son of late Senator Professor Sajid Mir, also addressed the gathering.