Pak-Afghan Ulema endorse Joint Declaration

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan-Afghan Joint Ulema Conference in Saudi Arabia appreciated Pakistan for its genuine and honest support to the peace process in Afghanistan. It also appreciated Saudi Arabia’s efforts in instilling solidarity and harmony in the Ummah in its 14-point declaration, issued on the conclusion of the conference.

“We appreciate the efforts made to realise lasting peace in the Muslim Ummah in general and Afghanistan in particular, this includes initiatives such as the ‘Pakistan Message’, ‘the Bogor Declaration’, ‘the Reconciliation Fatwa’, issued in Afghanistan, and ‘the Makkah Declaration’, and all other similar initiatives undertaken by the scholars of the Muslim world to achieve peace in Afghanistan,” said a joint declaration, issued on the conclusion of the conference.

Pak-Afghan Joint Ulema Conference was held at Makkah to endorse the Joint Declaration. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan endorsed the Joint Declaration. In the 14-point declaration, ulema vowed to continue their efforts for peace/ reconciliation in Afghanistan and stated that the scholars from Pakistan and Afghanistan were playing an effective role in spreading peace, harmony and brotherhood across the Muslim Ummah, particularly in Afghanistan, based on the teachings of Islam, the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah.

“We look forward to the Kingdom’s continued support to maintain the momentum generated by this declaration among the scholars in the Muslim world in general, and among scholars in Pakistan and Afghanistan in particular.

“We ask Allah Almighty to guide us to the right path,” they said in the joint declaration. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri and Chairman Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Dr Qibla Ayyaz represented Pakistan at Makkah while Afghanistan was represented by Muhammad Qasim Halimi, Minister for Religious Affairs.

Ambassadors of Pakistan and Afghanistan in Saudi Arabia and representatives of the two countries at the OIC attended the conference. Leading ulema including Special Representative to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Ashrafi, Mufti Taqi Usmani, Maulana Abdul Kher, Prof Sajid Mir, Maulana Hanif Jalandhari, Maulana Abdul Malik, Allama Iftikhar Hussain Naqvi, Maulana Ashraf Sialvi, Maulana Raghib Naeemi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Khalil, Maulana Abdul Karim, Maulana Hamidul Haq, Yousaf Darvesh, Mufti Abdul Raheem, Pir Syed Ali Raza Bukhari and Maulan Qutab participated in the conference from Pakistan through video link Addressing a press conference, Ashrafi lauded efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani, and the ulema of Pakistan and Afghanistanwho made successful Pak-Afghan Ulema Conference.

He said. “Islam terms the killing of any innocent human being as the killing of the entire humanity,” he said. “We want peace in Afghanistan and appeal to all Afghan groups to resolve issues through dialogue and reconciliation,” he said.