Efforts stressed to promote harmony in Muharram

LAHORE
Noted religious leaders and scholars addressing a meeting have demanded of the government to ensure impartiality while maintaining law and order during Muharram.
The leaders from different schools of thought were addressing a meeting of Milli Yakjehti Council (MYC), an alliance of different religious parties working for sectarian harmony in the country, at Mansoora on Tuesday which was chaired by Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Liaqat Baloch.
The meeting noted that Muharram was sacred for the Ummah because of the martyrdoms of second Caliph Hazrat Umar (RA) and the grandson of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA). As such, special efforts should be made to promote love and brotherhood, tolerance, unanimity and harmony among the masses.
The leaders stressed that Muslim world should unite against the conspiracies of the Zionists, Hindus and other anti-Islam forces.
They said the death sentence to Mumtaz Qadri had deeply hurt the feelings of Muslims all over the world. The council formed a 13-member committee to monitor the speeches of Ulema, Khatibs and Zakirs with a view to maintaining peace and harmony during Muharram. It also urged the scholars and Ulema and Zakirs to appeal to the nation for peace.
The council directed the conciliatory committee looking into the Youhanabad and Kot Radha Kishan tragedies and the arrests of innocent people from different faiths to prepare its recommendations for the release of the innocent people from all sides.
Briefing the media after the meeting, Liaqat Baloch said it was the duty of the government to make sincere and impartial efforts to maintain peace during Ashura and to prevent all forms of mischief.
The meeting constituted a six-member committee to prevent the spread of hate material on the social media.
The meeting was addressed by Hafiz Muhammad Idris, Sardar Muhammad Khan Laghari, Dr Waseem Akhtar, Pir Usman Noori, Syed Saqib Akbar, Allama Niaz Hussain Naqvi, Pir Haroon Gilani, Mohsin Raza Hamdani, Saifullah Khalid, Naubahar Shah, Maulana Allah Wasaya, Dr Fareed Paracha, Hafiz Sajid Anwar, Maulana Ghayasuddin, Mukhtar Ahmad Swati and Anwar Gondal.