Religious scholars belonging to various sects vow to work for peace

MANSEHRA: Ulema and religious scholars belonging to various sects here Thursday constituted a peace committee to help the law enforcement agencies to maintain peace.

The ulema and scholars from Dalola, a boundary area between Abbottabad and Mansehra to Babusar top, the belt between Chillas (Gilgit-Baltistan) and upper Kaghan valley, largely attended the jirga and announced named of the key office-bearers of the committee.

Maulana Khalilur Rehman, a prominent religious scholar in Balakot, was elected patron-in-chief, Maulana Haroonur Rasheed as deputy patron-in-chief, Qazi Noman as president and Maulana Shamasur Rehman as secretary general of the committee. The jirga also decided to name other office- bearers of the committee later.

"We are the soldiers of this soil and will never allow anybody to execute his mission to kill or harm humanity. And nobody would be allowed to join mosques or seminaries until this peace committee verify his credentials," said Maulana Shamasur Rehman. He said the committee would also ensure brotherly relations among all sects and play its role to curb the sectarian hatred.

Speaking on occasion, president of the committee, Qazi Noman, said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government constituted reconciliatory committees at village and union councils but ulema and religious scholars were not included anywhere in those committees.

The deputy superintendent of police of, Balakot, Mukhtar Shah, who attended jirga on the invitation of organizers, praised the ulema for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with police and security forces in stamping out the terrorism.