Call to remove Ranjeet Singh’s statue

LAHORE : Tanzim Islami (TI) Ameer Hafiz Akif Saeed has condemned placing the statue of Ranjit Singh in a country created on the basis of Kalima-e-Tayiba, saying it’s like betraying the teachings and edicts of Islam.

In a statement on Friday, he said Muslims are essentially idol-breaker, not idol-makers. He recalled that Ranjit Singh murdered and slaughtered large number of Muslims and innumerable Muslim women were gang-raped during his rule and converted Badshahi Mosque into a stable for his horses. He demanded the government not only issue an immediate notification for dismantling the statue but also smash it to pieces in order to fulfill its religious obligation.

Talking about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to the US on President Donald Trump’s invitation, Akif Saeed cautioned Imran Khan would have to be very much alert during his visit because the US would try hard to lure Pakistan into its trap once again, and would make vows and promises of various kinds in order to do so. He said history was a witness that the US had always used Pakistan for achieving its own objectives and as soon as its goals were achieved, it pushed Pakistan away.