ISLAMABAD: The Milli Yakjehti Council (MYC) on Wednesday announced resisting any attempt to accept the Abraham Accords or recognize Israel as a state. It also urged the government to refrain from using parliament for legislation that conflicts with Sharia and Islamic injunctions.
During an extraordinary meeting, the MYC warned the government of a nationwide movement if it does not cease enacting laws contrary to Islamic principles and withdraws previously passed legislation deemed in violation of Sharia. Participants of the meeting rejected the formation of any commission on blasphemy cases, asserting that no such commission was constituted for over 450 previously adjudicated cases.
The consultative meeting, presided over by MYC President Maulana Abul Khair Zubair, was attended by religious leaders, including JUIF Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, Mufti Gulzar Ahmad Naeemi, Liaquat Baloch, Maulana Abdul Maalik, Allama Arif Hussain Wahidi, Maulana Wasaya, Abdullah Gul, Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Maulana Zahid Mahmood Qasmi, and others representing various schools of thought. The MYC lauded the armed forces for their effective and bold response to Indian aggression, noting that the adversary was defeated with the spirit of the nation and support from friendly countries such as China. However, the meeting expressed regret that both civil and military leadership lacked the will to resolve internal issues, accusing them of acting against the Constitution, democratic values, and national unity.
The MYC urged the government and political leadership to de-escalate political tensions through dialogue, warning that failure to do so could endanger the Constitution, democracy, and Islamic values. The religious leaders demanded the withdrawal of all legislation deemed un-Islamic, in accordance with the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), and warned of a countrywide movement if their demands were ignored. They criticized the use of parliament to push forward laws in conflict with Sharia. They also called for activation of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to resolve inter-provincial issues, ensure the recovery of missing persons in Balochistan, and uphold the provinces’ constitutional rights over natural resources.
The meeting urged the prime minister to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) to address terrorism and law and order challenges, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The MYC announced it would independently call an APC to plan a nationwide movement in this regard. An action committee led by Liaquat Baloch was formed to outline a future course of action, including the APC and mass mobilization.
The MYC emphasized a firm national stance on Kashmir and Palestine, condemning ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza and calling on Pakistan and other Muslim nations especially Arab states to reject any US or Israeli-backed doctrine such as the Abraham Accords. The council proposed that Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, and Bangladesh formulate a joint science, defence, diplomatic, and economic strategy to counter foreign aggression. It criticized the judiciary’s alleged disregard for Islamic values and denounced restrictions imposed on religious seminaries. It opposed laws prohibiting marriage under the age of 18 and demanded an immediate transition to an Islamic economic system, eliminating interest-based banking.
Addressing the gathering, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman criticized the silence of Muslim countries on Israeli aggression. “Where are Muslim leaders when children, women, and innocent civilians are being martyred in Gaza?” he asked. Rejecting any mediation on Kashmir by US President Trump, he said the issue should be resolved under existing UN resolutions. He praised Hamas, describing their resistance as a “war of truth versus falsehood,” and said Pakistan should consider allowing Hamas to open a diplomatic office. He demanded transparency from the government on efforts to eliminate interest (Riba) from the economy and warned against attempts to repeal or weaken blasphemy laws.
“Any misuse of the blasphemy laws should be addressed, but attempts to abolish them under the pretext of reform must be resisted,” he said and praised Iran’s firm response to Israeli actions and called for Muslim unity to restore the dignity of the Ummah.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman reiterated that armed struggle against the state was both unconstitutional and un-Islamic. “We stand by the Constitution and have consistently declared armed struggle as forbidden in Islam,” he said and criticized the government for its failure to maintain writ in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Is this a failure of state institutions or a deliberate policy?” he asked. Comparing Pakistan’s prolonged struggle against terrorism to India’s swift defeat, he noted: “India was humiliated in four hours, yet we have battled terrorism for 40 years without success.”
He recalled that people displaced during earlier military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were now again being pressured to evacuate. He questioned past government policies, including Pervez Musharraf’s deviation from UN resolutions on Kashmir and attempts to divide the territory. Discussing the FATA merger with KP, he noted that any reversal would require a two-thirds majority in both the KP Assembly and the Senate. He highlighted his party’s role in forcing the government to withdraw 35 controversial clauses of the 26th Constitutional Amendment. He mentioned that the chief justice of the Federal Shariat Court must be appointed from within the court and that its rulings must be implemented within a year if not challenged in the Supreme Court.
He warned against any move to recognize Israel, saying that Israel’s policies are incompatible with the ideological foundation of Pakistan. “We condemn Israeli attacks on Iran and commend Iran’s support for Pakistan during tensions with India,” he added. Opposing the proposed judicial commission on blasphemy, he questioned why no commissions were formed for terrorism cases where people were hanged. “How can there be writ of the state if commissions are formed on cases that have already been decided?” he asked.
MYC President Maulana Abul Khair Zubair also rejected any commission on blasphemy cases, vowing to resist such moves.
Allama Sajid Naqvi thanked Fazl for attending the meeting and emphasized that the crisis in Gaza was the most pressing issue facing the Muslim Ummah today.