Unity must to ensure peace and stability: AJK speaker

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir has stressed the need for forging unity in order to thwart nefarious designs of the enemy and establish peace and ensure stability in the country.

“Pakistan is a great gift by Allah Almighty for us and we all are obliged to protect it against all odds,” he told the inaugural ceremony of a workshop titled ‘Reconstruction of Inclusive Islamic Society in Pakistan’ held at the Azad Jammu and Kashmir University, Muzaffarabad.

The event organized in collaboration with the Islamic Research Institute, Islamic International University Islamabad, was attended by a huge number of faculty members, ulema, scholars, civil society activists and students.

Addressing the ceremony, organized as part of the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative of the Government of Pakistan, the AJK speaker said religious groups have a big role to play in the society. “The joint decree issued by ulema belonging to all schools of thought under the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative is a guarantee to peace and stability in the country,” he said. “The institution of mosque should be strengthened. Mosque should act as centre of training for the youth,” he said, adding that those criticising the religious seminaries are oblivious of the fact that these madaris are providing shelter, food and education to hundreds of thousands of poor children. “Providing jobs to youth graduating from these madaris is the responsibility of the State,” he said. “State can’t discriminate between those graduating from universities and the ones getting education from madaris,” he said.

The AJK speaker said sacrifices of security forces in the ongoing war against terrorism are matchless. “But, it is unfortunate that we expect army to fulfill each and every responsibility that a State needs to do instead,” he said, adding the resolution of Kashmir issue is guarantee to peace in the country as well as the whole region.

The AJK speaker also called upon religious scholars to forge unity among their ranks. “Ulema and masses got united in Bangladesh for the sake of development of their country, which resulted in growth and progress there,” he said, adding that extremism can bring no good to anyone. Islamic Research Institute Director General Dr Zia ul Haq said a nation decays when its leadership is not able to take right decisions at the right time. “Paigham-e-Pakistan is a document wherein religious scholars belonging to all schools of thought have rejected extremism and terrorism in all its forms. Suicide bombings have been declared forbidden in it,” he said, adding that minorities are free to spend their lives according to their will and practice their religion. “Islam makes it obligatory for the men to respect women and giving them due rights,” he added.

Convener of the workshop Prof Nisar Hamdani said, “We must protect our values to rid the country of injustice, fear and crisis. Prejudices give birth to sectarianism and ethnic divisions. Everyone wishes justice and prosperity in the society and the State is responsible to ensure it.”

The two-day workshop will be followed by National Youth Conference, a workshop on ‘Role of Youth in Reconstruction of National Culture’, a session on ‘Role of Youth as Ambassadors of Peace’ and a discussion on ‘Environmental Challenges: Water Crises, Clean and Green Pakistan’.