Sindh CM, Ulema stress national unity, religious harmony, support for security forces

KARACHI, Jul 15 (APP): Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to promoting peace, religious harmony, interfaith dialogue and national unity, as leaders of different faiths, religious scholars and representatives of minority communities pledged to work together to counter extremism, sectarianism and hate-based narratives under the banner of Paigham-e-Aman.

The commitment was made during a high-level meeting and subsequent joint press conference held at the CM House, where the Chief Minister met a delegation of the National Paigham-e-Aman Committee (NPAC) and the Provincial Paigham-e-Aman Committee (PPAC) Sindh, led by NPAC Coordinator Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi.

Coordinator of the National Paigham-e-Aman Committee, Maullana Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, lauded the Pakistan Armed Forces, police, Rangers, Frontier Corps (FC) and other security institutions for their services and sacrifices in protecting the country’s security. He said the entire nation salutes the personnel who continue to lay down their lives in the line of duty and described the country’s martyrs as “the pride of the nation.”

Chief Minister,Syed Murad Ali Shah assured the National and Provincial Paigham-e-Aman Committees of the Sindh government’s full support. He said Sindh was the land of Sufi saints whose message was based on peace, love and harmony. The Chief Minister expressed hope that collective efforts for peace would earn divine blessings and said Pakistan had gained greater international recognition following the success of Marka-e-Haq.

Maulana Ashrafi said the federal and provincial governments had constituted the National and Provincial Paigham-e-Aman Committees to eliminate violent tendencies and promote peace and tolerance across the country. He said the committees, formed under the vision of Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, President, Asif Ali Zardari and Field Marshal Hafiz Syed Asim Munir, including representatives of all schools of thought as well as members of minority communities.

He said the committee’s guiding principle was to respect one’s own beliefs while refraining from interfering with the beliefs of others. Representatives of Sikh, Christian and Hindu communities were also members of the committee, reflecting its commitment to strengthening interfaith and inter-sect harmony, he added.

Referring to the country’s security situation, Allama Ashrafi praised the armed forces for their role in combating terrorism and said Pakistan had enhanced its international standing through its efforts for regional and global peace. He also paid tribute to security personnel engaged in operations against terrorists, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Expressing concern over remarks that undermine the sacrifices of security personnel, Allama Ashrafi said soldiers did not sacrifice their lives merely for salaries but for the defence of the nation. He regretted that some elements were politicising the issue and disrespecting the country’s martyrs, warning that such behaviour would not be tolerated. He also expressed solidarity with the families of martyrs and offered an emotional apology to them for any statements that hurt them.

Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi thanked the Sindh Government for supporting religious harmony and praised Sindh’s role in fostering peaceful coexistence among different faiths and sects.

He said NPAC and PPAC were working across the country to strengthen the message of peace, tolerance, unity and national solidarity.

Highlighting the importance of safeguarding national institutions, Maulana Ashrafi urged political forces to resolve differences through democratic and constitutional means while avoiding rhetoric that could undermine state institutions. “Our soldiers are our brothers and sons. We are proud of our armed forces and the sacrifices rendered by our martyrs and ghazis for the defence of the country,” he said.

Paying tribute to the armed forces, law-enforcement agencies and the families of martyrs, he said the nation owed a debt of gratitude to those who had sacrificed their lives for Pakistan’s security and sovereignty. “No one should be allowed to disrespect the sacrifices of our martyrs. They have given everything for the protection of the country,” he added.

Maulana Ashrafi called upon all segments of society to reject extremism, violence and divisive narratives and to stand united against forces seeking to create instability in the country.

Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Allama Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi, stressed the importance of dialogue, unity and engagement among all schools of thought and religious communities.

He also paid tribute to Rangers personnel who laid their lives while protecting the Rangers compound in Karachi from suicide attackers of Fitnatul Khwarij terrorists and said Sindh Government under the leadership of Syed Murad Ali Shah adopted strict security measures during Muharram ul Haram and terrorists could not succeed in their nefarious designs to create lawlessness in the city. Ashrafi said that had the terrorists succeeded in targeting religious congregations during Muharram, it would have resulted in widespread loss of human lives.

Sindh Senior Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said the core message of Paigham-e-Aman was to promote peace, harmony, tolerance and mutual respect throughout society.

The Senior Minister said Pakistan’s defence was in strong and capable hands and paid tribute to the country’s martyrs, describing their sacrifices as a source of pride for the entire nation. “The sacrifices of our shuhada will always be remembered with gratitude and respect, and will continue to inspire future generations,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Minister for Religious Affairs Riaz Shah Shirazi, Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani, Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah, Additional Chief Secretary Home Iqbal memon, Secretary to the CM Asif Jameel, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho, Additional IGP Karachi Azad Khan, senior government officials, religious scholars, minority representatives and members of the National and Provincial Paigham-e-Aman Committees. Among the participants were Mufti Muhammad Jan Naeemi, Rajesh Kumar Hardasani, Sardar Ramesh Singh Khalsa, Pandit Maharaj Goswami Geer and other prominent religious leaders.