Pakistani Sunni politicians reject the ideology of Taliban

Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf's Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his address at the Rasool-e-Aman or Prophet of Peace Conference under the aegis of the MWM in Lahore said that that terrorism, for last many years had been prevailing in Pakistan and in many other countries of the world and claimed many innocent lives. The Peshawar incident, he said had jolted the entire nation and compelled civil, military leadership to be on same page against terrorism.

He said the National Action Plan which came to surface after the All Parties Conference had forced the leadership to ponder upon what needed to be done. He said that the need of hour was to learn lesson from the tragedy and urged nation that we need to unite, not disperse at this critical moment.

“There were apprehensions in the minds of many if the National Action Plan that was devised to eliminate terrorism will be implemented or deliver. For last many years, terrorists had caused huge losses to the country. Leaders such as Benazir Bhutto were targeted but at the same time, it was true that her assassin were not arrested,” he said.

Similarly, he said, MQM leadership had also been voicing concern over the target killing of its workers but it was also fact that it remained part of the government.

He said we need to check why our judicial system failed to convict terrorist, did we provide enough security to judges, did we properly equip police in countering terrorism, had required measures been adopted by different governments to address the issue. These were the points, he said, that need to be discussed. Peshawar tragedy was really condemnable but what happened in Pindi recently when Imambargah was attacked also deserved serious attention.

He said we are proud of Army, brave soldiers who had rendered great sacrifices in operation Zarb e Azb but at the same time, we must realize many operations had also taken place in past and must find the answer whether they were successful or not.

“If we start pointing fingers at each other to degrade our political opponents, situation will not improve. We have to bring into mainstream even those who differed from us and we must think wisely, rather than acting sentimentally. We need to find causes of the disease which was damaging us and not necessarily, there are internal elements all the time behind the crisis in our country. We must not ignore the external forces working against us,” urged Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

PPP ticket holder from NA-122 Barrister Amir Hassan, addressing the conference said there were a dire need to shutdown the religious seminaries where terrorists were training.

However, he said more important was to put an end to a mindset which has nothing to do with Islam but promoting the agenda of Abu Jahal and Yazeed. He said the entire nation had got united against this mindset and the debate of ‘Good and Bad Talibans’ is over adding everyone had realized that these elements were barbaric, inhuman and their agenda couldn’t be endorsed.

Tahawar Abbas from ISO in his address on the occasion said that the basic need of our nation is restoration of peace of the society and efforts of the MWM in this regard were commendable. He said only Islam provides the solution of the problems faced by the entire world and having felt threatened from the popularity of this religion, anti Islam elements had hatched conspiracy against us.

The ruling elite had a key role in addressing the grievances faced by our weak people and there was a dire need to promote unity to combat any conspiracy hatched by our enemies and purge our country from those who were tarnishing our image worldwide.

Central President Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Dr Raheeq Abbasi in his address on the occasion said that concept of ‘Jihad’ had been wrongly interpreted and the misguided elements were following a mindset which had weakened the roots of our federation. He said this mindset laid foundation of terrorism and now we, as a nation also had to wage war against them from different fronts.

One front belongs to Pak Army which had been fulfilling its responsibility with utmost dedication in form of Operation Zarb e Azb. Besides, he said Ulema also had an important role on their respective front and they must play their role in portraying the true picture of Islam and show the real teachings which Islam had taught us. He said the Holy Prophet (PBUH) gave importance to the life of human beings and directed us not to harm women, children, elderly people even in war. He said true implementation of Islamic principles are vital in addressing the issues faced by nation.

He said the PAT Chairman Dr Tahir ul Qadri had suggested expulsion of the lessons from school, college syllabus which were meant to create biases among students adding but the religious seminaries were not willing to end promoting their agenda. He said unless the sitting government acted sincerely and with clean intentions, situation could not improve and stated that within hours, 16 innocent people were eliminated at Model Town on June 16 just because the government was willing to launch an ‘operation.’ Unfortunately, he said the real terrorists hubs were still existing and they would continue to exist unless persons like Rana Sana Ullah Khan and many like him were associated with power corridors.

If the government wanted to eliminate terrorism, it must put its own house in order and expel those who were supporters of extremist elements.

Allama Raghib Naeemi, head of Jamia Naeemia in his address on the occasion said that we wanted complete elimination of anti state elements and complete endorsed legislation against terrorism.

He also said that we were ready to render any sacrifice and go to any extent to support restoration of durable peace in the country. Peshawar tragedy, he said had proved that Pakistan wasn’t supporting terrorism but infact its people were a victim of it. He said terrorists had no religion and no one should attend the funeral of those who had no link with Islam.

Nasir Shirazi, head of MWM ‘s political wing stated that there a difference between ‘difference of opinion and disrespect’ and the terrorists, who were showing no respect to humanity must be paid back in the same coin. Over Shia killings, Nasir said ‘we are the natural defence’ of Pakistan and were those who buried our martyrs after wrapping them in national flag in Quetta where anti Pakistan elements were not allowing anyone to hoist the green flag. He said for Pakistan, we were ready to go any extent.

He paid rich tribute to Aitezaz Hassan Bangash, a 14 years old boy of district Hangu who sacrificed his life to save many others and added if the government had prevented target killings in Karachi, massacre in Quetta and other parts, Peshawar incident would have never occurred.
/SR