PAT demands regulatory body for mosques, seminaries

LAHORE: Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) Chairman Dr Hussain Mohiyuddin Qadri on Wednesday demanded formation of a board consisting of religious scholars to regulate mosques and seminaries in the country.

Chairing ‘National Peace Conference’ organised by Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT), he said the proposed board should be charged with the responsibility of appointing khateeb and moazzin besides updating seminaries’ curriculum according to the current needs and implementing the curriculum given by Dr Tahirul Qadri for ensuring peace in the country.

The event was addressed by Ghulam Mustafa Khar, PTI leader Ch Sarwar, Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen’s Ameen Shaheedi, Jamaat-e-Islami deputy chief Asadullah Bhutto and others. The speakers accused the rulers of hindering the implementation of National Action Plan (NAP) and demanded using ruthless force to eliminate terrorists for complete success of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. The participants also celebrated 65th birthday of PAT Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri by cutting a cake.

Hussain – also a PAT leader and son of Qadri – alleged that the rulers posed the biggest hurdle in implementing the NAP and were patronising terrorists. He demanded that after the anti-terrorists operation in Sindh, a similar action should be launched in Punjab.

He termed the present rulers as experts of rigging who, he said, could never be removed under the prevailing corrupt election system. Ch Sarwar said the wrong policies of US were responsible for the rise and spread of terrorism and extremism across the world. For peace in the world, he said, issues like Kashmir and Palestine must be solved immediately according to wishes of their people. 

Shaheedi said absence of education, employment and justice was a form of terrorism. He questioned as to why the judicial commission report on the Model Town incident had not been released.

Bhutto said the nation must unite and stand up against the corrupt system, adding that media must reveal all the faces involved in terrorism and extremism. Imran Masood of PML-Q said during his party’s government, madrasas were invited and asked to introduce modern education, but the proposal was rejected.