CM Buzdar discusses promotion of religious harmony, Kashmir issue

“I believe that our religious scholars will not disappoint the nation like the past”, CM Buzdar

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday met the leading religious scholars of different schools of thought today (Aug 26) to promote the religious harmony and unity in the holy month of Muharram and to discuss the matter of occupied Kashmir.

During the meeting which held under the aegis of Department of Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Ittehad Bain-ul-Muslimeen Committee, a detailed discussion was held about the situation in Occupied Kashmir and adoption of steps for the promotion of religious harmony at 90-SQA, press release stated.

The Auqaf minister prayed for the freedom of Kashmiri people from Indian oppression and salvation of the martyrs. The religious scholars assured of their full cooperation for maintaining unity and involvement of peace and harmony in society.

Talking on the occasion, the chief minister said that respect of religious scholars is part of our social norms adding that difficult situations relating to terrorism and fanaticism were controlled due to the prayers of the religious scholars. The religious scholars have always rendered invaluable services and their role in the security and solidarity of the country is a bright chapter of our history. In fact, they have played a worthwhile role for the establishment of an Islamic welfare society free from sectarianism.

During the holy month of Muharram, religious scholars display religious tolerance and the collective efforts of the government as well as the religious scholars are self-evident proof.

He said that Punjab government is actively taking all-possible steps for the wellbeing of the religious scholars and students of the seminaries and Sehat Insaf Card Scheme is going to be introduced for them. Now, the families of religious scholars and students could get free treatment from private hospitals, he said. The PTI government will take unprecedented steps for seminaries and their stakeholders, he added. Law minister Raja Basharat said that demands of the religious scholars would be fulfilled and the Punjab government will alleviate them.

Auqaf Minister Saeed-ul-Hassan Shah said that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has taken steps for the promotion of religious harmony in Muharram and it is hoped that the environment of peace and harmony will be prevailed. The meeting of Ittehad Ban-ul-Muslimeen Committee will be held after every three months, he added. CM Buzdar expressed, “I believe that our religious scholars will not disappoint the nation like the past”.

Meeting discusses Indian opression in occupied Kashmir

Usman Buzdar asserted that hands of the Modi government are stained with the blood of innocent Kashmiri people. The freedom destination of the Kashmiris is nearer, he added. He said that India has given a message of its stubbornness to the international community by revoking the recognized controversial status of Occupied Kashmir. The border situation is going through a tense phase and we have to counter the cunningness of the enemy with our unity.

The meeting also strongly condemned the revoking of the special status of Occupied Kashmir by India; cruelties and torture of the Kashmiri people and expressed complete solidarity with them. It also paid tributes to the Kashmiris martyred by Indian forces in Occupied Kashmir as well as the great sacrifices rendered by Pak Army men.

He said that anti-social elements are bent upon sabotaging law and order in the wake of border situation. It is sanguine that the problem of terrorism has been sufficiently decreased due to the collective efforts of the Pak Army, police and other law-enforcement agencies. But in the wake of the prevailing situation, the possibility of terrorism cannot be altogether ignored. “The Punjab government is giving special attention to these issues keeping in view the sensitivity of the situation and the consultation of the religious scholars is praiseworthy”, he added.

Those who called on the chief minister included Head of Motahida Ulema Board Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, Hafiz Fazul Rehman Ashrafi, Maulana Dr. Hussain Akbar, Maulana Zia-ul-Haq Naqshbandi, Maulana Dr. Muhammad Sabtain Akbar, Maulana Zubair Ahmad, Pir Syed Muhammad Usman Noori, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, Pir Syed Habib-ul-Haq Shah, Khawaja Qutabuddin Faridi, Dr. Allama Mohibul Nabi Tahir, Sahibzada Syed Muhammad Zia Mohiuddin Gillani, Maulana Faiz Rasool, Maulana Mofti Muhammad Ramzan Sialvi, Maulana Muhammad Iqbal Rizvi, Maulana Zafarullah Shafique, Maulana Mofti Muhammad Ishaq Saqi, Maulana Ghulam Mustafa Saqib, Allama Muhammad Rasheed Turabi, Allama Muhammad Afzal Haideri, Maulana Shafiq Ahmad Pasruri, Maulana Abdul Rehman Ludhianvi, Maulana Muhammad Naeem Butt, Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Anwar, Maulana Abdul Wahab Ropri and others. Provincial ministers including Muhammad Basharat Raja, Saeed-ul-Hassan Shah, Muhammad Hashim Dogar, Ansar Majeed Khan Niazi, Chief Secretary, IG Police, ACS (Home), Principal Secretary to CM, secretaries of auqaf and information departments and others attended the meeting.