ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Friday urged the country’s political and religious leadership not to use religion for the political gains.
Condemning the tragic incident of firing on the rally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Wazirabad, Ashrafi who is also the Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council told APP that the political and religious leadership should sit together and resume dialogue to protect the homeland and people from any irreparable loss.
He said the Punjab government should immediately review the security arrangements in the province as Pakistan could not afford any such incident.He said the video tapes of accused were being gone viral continuously adding that it was responsibility of the Punjab government to stop this series until and unless the investigation process is completed. Criticizing the religious and political extremism in the all forms and manifestations, he said, “Both are dangerous, neither these social evils are good today, nor in the past.” After going through the narrative of attacker, Ashrafi said he had reached the conclusion that the political and religious leadership should devise a joint strategy to meet this menace once for all, otherwise, he added, “We will have to pay a huge debt in the shape of death and destruction.”
The prime minister’s special aide said when Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz Legislator Javed Latif held a press conference against Imran Khan on the basis of religion, he was the first one who declared it wrong to use religion for political or personal purposes. Keeping in view sensitivity of the situation, he urged the prime minister and army chief to build liaison with injured Imran Khan and proposed President Dr. Arif Alvi and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to play their roles in a bid to take the matters towards improvement. –Agencies
