Get united to eliminate hatred, extremism from society: Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (APP):Terming increasing hatred and extremism as major threats to the country’s peace, Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal Wednesday expressed the hope that all the political parties would get united to eliminate this
menace from the society.
“I have hope that we all the parties jointly will try our best to eliminate this menace of extremism,” as no society
can go forward and progress with such kind of mindset, the minister said in the National Assembly while speaking on the point of order.
He said that it was very important to root-out the seeds of hatred, which we had sown in this country, warning that if sowing of hatred was not reduced, the explosive already spread across the society, was sufficient
to burn us.
He particularly urged the religious leaders to play their role to ensure elimination of religious extremist behaviours in the society, saying that no individual or group had the right to punish anybody
when state institutions like the parliament and judicial system was there.
The minister said that there was dire need
of a long struggle against the hatred culture, expressing the hope that all the
parties should look how to overcome this challenge.
“We have carried so many dead bodies and witnessed
bloodshed, now we have to decorate flowers of peace and for this we need to
overcome hatred at all levels,” the minister remarked.
The minister said individuals and groups have
no right to issue decrees of killing on the basis of religion, saying that “Who
is Muslim and who is non-Muslim, the constitution of the country decides, the
parliament decides, we cannot issue decrees in streets on it.”
This parliament and judicial system is
authorized to decided punishments for people, and no individual has this right
to kill anybody with his own caprice of mind that he/she should be killed. This
is anarchy, he added.
He said that Islam also gives message of
peace, urging the need for working to extinguish the fire of hatred and promote
peace.
Similarly, regarding Jihad, he said that
over 2000 prominent ulema of Pakistan had given decision in Payam-e-Pakistan that
no individual or group could give order for jihad as it was the prerogative of the
state only.
He categorically rejected division on the
basis of race, religion and colour, saying that whosoever holds Pakistani
Identity Card, should be respected and loved without any prejudice.
He said that prejudice against Muslims in
India was the reason behind creation of Pakistan and that was why Muslims demanded
their homeland where they were not subjected to such prejudice.
If any group in Pakistan was subjected to the
same prejudice, this would be negation of basic ideology of creation of Pakistan,
he remarked.
Earlier, the minister thanked all the members,
and political leadership particularly, former prime minister Mohammad Nawaz
Sharif and Peoples Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhattoo for expressing solidarity
with him during hour of grief.
The minister also clarified that those
claiming that Ahsan Iqbal was having ‘aqama’ (Work permit) had failed to
provide any evidence, for which he too was waiting.
He informed the house that he had remained
member of Global Academic Council of Medina Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship
Institute, a non-profit organization, produced a certificate of the institution,
certifying Ahsan Iabal to be its member and had obtained ‘aqama’ from 2011 to
2016 in view of his role.
He also submitted the certificate to the house,
which has been verified by Saudi Foreign Ministry and Embassy of Pakistan.
He urged that the culture of character assassination
should also be eliminated.