Call to remove Shah Mehmood Qureshi

LAHORE : Heads of religious parties-affiliated Islami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan have strongly condemned the statement of Shah Mehmood Qureshi urging the US to retain its military presence in Afghanistan and refrain from withdrawing irresponsibly without proper settlement of issues like it did during the 80’s.

Addressing the media after holding a meeting on Saturday, the IJIP office bearers demanded immediate removal of Shah Mehmood Qureshi from the post of foreign minister, accusing him of displaying US “slavery” by supporting further stay of the US army in Afghanistan. They warned that Shah Mehmood had no right to ask for further continuation of US-led Nato forces’ illegal and devastating occupation of Afghanistan for the last 20 years in which millions of innocent people had been killed and rendered homeless. The meeting was chaired by advisor to Federal Shariat Court, Sheikhul Hadith Hafiz Salauddin Yousuf, while IJIP President Allama Zubair Ahmad Zaheer, Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Rupari, Abdul Wahab Rupari, Maulana Talubur Rehman Zaidi, Abdul Sattar Niazi, Maulana Abdu Hafeez Okarvi, Maulana Fayyaz Salafi and others attended.

They also criticized Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement of including Tasawwuf in syllabi, warning that it would promote sectarianism and chaos.

They alleged that the Prime Minister was trying to sow fresh seeds of sectarianism in the country only to gain political benefits from a nation which was created in the name of Islam. They warned of resisting the move by constitutional, legal and agitation methods.