The martyrdom of one hundred fifty children was a big tragedy:Sirajul Haq

Lahore: Youm e Dua and Istighfar ( day of prayer and penitence) was observed all over the country for the martyrs of the Peshawar tragedy on Friday on the appeal of the Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Sirajul Haq.

The Imams and Khatibs in their Friday addresses at mosques condemned the massacre of the young students at the Peshawar school and said that the perpetrators of this heinous crime could not be  called Muslims as Islam was the religion of peace and tolerance. Special prayers were made for peace in the country, national unity and for the Peshawar martyrs.

The JI chief in his Friday address at the Mansoora mosque, said that the martyrdom of one hundred fifty children was a big tragedy not only for Pakistan but the whole Muslim world, and added that history failed to present its precedent even during the notorious and tyrannical era of the Tartars.

He also announced cancellation of the JI public rally in the Punjab capital on Dec. 21 and the JI public meeting at the Mazar e Quaid, Karachi fixed for December 25, because of the Peshawar tragedy.

The JI chief said that the nation had buried its minor children who became victim of the tragedy

which was a great sacrifice, He was sure that this sacrifice would bear fruit.

Sirajul Haq emphasized that the solution of terrorism and lawlessness lay only in the enforcement of the Shariah which provided solution for all human problems. He said that the Holy Quran had declared that life lies in Qisas. However, our rulers, under the pressure of the Europe Union, had abolished the death sentence due to which the country had become a centre of mischief. He called for strict implementation of the Islamic articles of the constitution to meet the challenges, and said there was no need to consult the US or the western powers on this score.

The JI chief said it was the responsibility of the state and not any individual, to enforce the sentences announced by the courts. He said, it was the prerogative of the heirs of a deceased and not the state, to grant pardon to the murderers. The President, the Prime Minister or the state could simply try for a reconciliation / compromise but they did not have the right to grant pardon to a criminal.

The JI chief appreciated the show of national unity in the wake of the Peshawar tragedy and the All Parties Conference presided over by the Prime Minister. He said, all the political parties had given a mandate to the Prime minister to decide a line of action and had also nominated their representatives for the purpose, while the government had announced that it would decide the matter within a week.

He said this was time to revisit the entire system instead of making any stop gap arrangement. Our rulers would have to look towards Makkah and Madina and not Washington or New York for guidance and solution of our problems, he added. If we did not learn a lesson from this tragedy and failed to mould the system of the country in line with the country’s ideology, the chain of lawlessness won’t come to an end, he warned.