Army chief meets religious scholars, says no space for extremism against minorities in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Army chief General Asim Munir met Pakistan’s leading religious scholars belonging to all schools of thought on Friday, applauding their role for peace and pointing out there was no space for intolerance and extremism in the country, especially against the minorities and vulnerable communities.
The meeting was arranged nearly three months after an enraged Muslim mob attacked several churches in the small town of Jaranwala, located in the country’s most densely populated Punjab province, after accusing two members of the Christian community of blasphemy and desecrating the Holy Qur’an.
According to the army’s media wing, ISPR, the religious scholars present at the meeting “unanimously condemned extremism, terrorism, and sectarianism,” pledging to continue their support to the state and security forces to bring about peace and stability in the country.
“Pakistan belongs to all Pakistanis without any religious, provincial, tribal, linguistic, ethnic, sectarian or any other distinction,” the ISPR quoted the army chief as saying. “Use of force and armed action by any militia, entity or group other than the State is unacceptable.”
Islamic scholars from various denominations in Pakistan jointly drafted a condemnation of religious militancy and sectarian violence in the country over five years ago in January 2018.
The initiative, named “Paigham-e-Pakistan,” came amid rising attacks by the proscribed militant network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which justified violence against civilians and security forces in the name of religion.
The army chief said the declaration was vital as it had reduced the impact of the TTP narrative and asked the scholars to implement it in letter and spirit.
The scholars present at the meeting pledged support to the recent security measures taken by the government, including the deportation of unregistered foreign nationals from the country, which has mainly impacted Afghan migrants in large numbers.
