Govt warned against linking terrorism with religion

LAHORE: Leaders of political and religious parties warned the government against linking terrorism with religion as it was done in the 21st Amendment passed for establishing the military courts.
They also warned the Islamist parties against the toughsituation ahead and stressed upon an urgent need to revive the religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal which had remained successful in “countering conspiracies against Islam”.
They were addressing a seminar arranged to commemorate the life of former Ameer of Jamaat-i-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Wednesday. The seminar was chaired by JI Ameer Sirajul Haq and addressed by leaders of parties and the PTI, prime minister’s special advisor Irfan Siddiqi and Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashood.
He conveyed a special message of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that death of Qazi two years ago was a tragedy for Pakistan and for the family of late Mian Sharif, as Qazi had been playing an important role in settling matters of the Sharif family.
Siraj warned the government to refrain from linking terrorism with any religion, especially Islam which is the religion of peace. He said religious parties had proposed to the government to use the words educational institutions instead of bracketing only Islamic seminaries for any suspected involvement of any individual in terror activities in the 21st Constitutional Amendment, but sadly the rulers didn’t entertain their suggestion.
The JI chief said the existing courts and criminal justice system should be strengthened instead of establishing the military courts. Siraj said democracy neither existed in the country nor in the political parties. He said the JI envisioned a Pakistan which has equal education, job, economic, health and justice opportunities for all. He said the gap of a visionary leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed could not be filled.
JUP President Pir Ijaz Hashmi said the present political scenario presented a gloomy picture for the Islamist parties and posed an urgency to revive MMA, the most successful religious alliance in history. He said Qazi would have done the same if he were alive today.
Jamiat Ahle Hadith secretary general Ibtesam Elahi Zaheer said Qazi would have been the first politician to protest against discriminatory legislation against Islamists. He said Qazi had always raised voice against global and local conspiracies against Islam and tried all his life to realize the dream of Allama Iqbal and Quiad Azam by implementing political Islam.
Senior Journalist Sajjad Mir said Qazi had three great Muslims as his ideals who shaped his life, Jamaluddin Afghani, Allama Iqbal and Maulana Maudoodi. He said Qazi re-founded Jamaat-i-Islami by invigorating a new political spirit into the otherwise purely religio-reformist party.
Ahle Sunnat leader Usman Noori said Qazi had the charisma to unite all schools of thoughts. Senior journalist Mujibur Rehman Shami said Qazi played a major role in bridging the gap between different schools of thought.
PTI Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry said Qazi had a charismatic personality that attracted friends and foes alike all over Muslim world for his global view of Islam and visionary political wisdom.
Jamiat Ahle Hadith vice president Zubair Ahmad Zaheer said best way to pay tributes to Qazi was to enforce the Islamic system of Khilafah. Hasan Nisar and other speakers also spoke on the occasion.