LAHORE, Mar 05 (APP):Special Representative to Prime Minister for Religious Harmony Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi Saturday strongly condemned the Peshawar blast and said terrorists had no religion, and the incident was an act of barbarianism.
“I am in touch with the blast victims and i have expressed my condolences with the Shia Ulema Council head Sajid Naqvi,” he said while talking to the media after holding a condolence meeting at the Muttahida Ulema Board Punjab office here.
He said it was not merely an attack on a mosque or worshipers, but on entire country, adding that suicide bombing was being condemned all over the Islamic world. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt and foreign ministries of all Islamic countries had unanimously condemned it.
Ashrafi said anti-state elements wanted to spread chaos and violence in the county, but they would fail in their evil designs as the nation was united to fight against terrorism, adding that the country had presented great sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He said it was a need of the hour to implement the National Action Plan fully, adding that peace committees were being formed to maintain more religious harmony and brotherhood in society.
“We should all collectively raise voice against terrorism and scholars of all schools of thought are against extremism and sectarianism,” Ashrafi said.
The elements involved in the blast would be punished, he said and added action would be taken against the responsible if negligence was found.
The incidents of terrorism had occurred in the past also; during the governments of Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, he said and added the martyrs and unity were more important in the current circumstances to defeat the evil forces.
Ulema and mashaikh of different schools of thought including Allama Afzal Haidari, Allama Raghab Naeemi, Muhammad Khan Laghari and others also shared their grief and sorrow with the families of the martyrs and the injured.