JUI-F vows to protect seminaries

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter on Thursday vowed to uphold the sanctity of seminaries at all costs.
Speaking at a conference organised on “Peace and the Role of Religious institutions” here, the JUI-F leaders and representatives of Wafaqul Madaris condemned attack on the Army Public School and College.
They termed the killing of innocent children as an act against the spirit of Islam. However, they said the law-enforcing agencies had launched a negative propaganda against religious institutions and its students after the attack on APS & C.
JUI-F provincial chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, general secretary Maulana Shujaul Mulk, Federal Minister Akram Khan Durrani, provincial nazim of Wafaqul Madaris Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani and others spoke to the gathering of hundreds of JUI-F workers and students.
The speakers opposed the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. They said the amendment was aimed at targeting religious organisations and institutions in the name of terrorism.
“We are not against the registration of religious seminaries but the secret and security agencies should not harass the administration of madaris in the name of investigation,” said Hussain Ahmad Madani.
Maulana Gul Naseeb said the JUI-F would not defend those seminaries and organisations, which were directly involved in terrorism but would resist any move against all seminaries and its students. “We oppose all sorts of terrorism. There is no justification to treat all students of seminaries like terrorists,” he added.