MWM organizes a peace conference in Lahore

Lahore: A peace conference held under the aegis of Majlis Wahdat ul Muslimeen unanimously endorsed operation against terrorism and called for unity in the ranks of nation to win the war against these elements.

The speakers vowed complete support to Pakistan Army in its resolve to purge the country from inhuman elements.

The conference  titled as ‘Rasool e Azam Aman Conference’ held at Aiwan e Iqbal on Sunday was addressed by Secretary General MWM Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PML-N leader Sheikh Waqas Akram, PPP’s Barrister Amir Hassan, President PAT Dr Raheeq Abbasi,  ISO President Tahawur Abbas Hyderi, Raghib Naeemi, Nasir Shirazi.

 

Raja Nasir Abbas, Secretary General MWM, while addressing the conference said that  the Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught us to respect human beings and declared murder of any innocent human being tantamount to the murder of entire humanity.

He said leadership of the country must possess the quality of foreseeing and take steps at proper time rather than delaying them and feared that like past incidents, the rulers would once again forget the Peshawar massacre.

He said operation Zarb e Azb was launched in June 2014 but still, the area of Waziristan hadn’t been cleared from terrorists which clearly proved that this part of our country was occupied by terrorists.

He said it wasn’t the fight of secular or liberals, but this was now a fight between human beings and inhuman elements who were bent upon eliminating all those who didn’t endorse their agenda.

Molvi Hassan Jan, Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi were targeted by these elements just because these two persons didn’tndorse their agenda and raised voice against them.

Raja Nasir stated that he himself had been a pupil of Madressah but it was really unfortunate that schools were facing a shutdown but Madressahs were open. He said this mindset need to defeated and their armed, political and ideological, social might need to be crushed.

Endorsing the execution of terrorists, he said whosoever killed any innocent human being must be hanged till death. He also expressed regret over the apathetic attitude of PML-N leadership, particularly Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for not visiting the families of Pindi Imambrgah blast.

Raja Nasir Abbas said he feared that war against terrorist which are nothing less than ‘Fitna’ could be won as long as the PML-N government was in power and citing the example of Model Town incident, he said one couldn’t nurse any hope from a ‘tyrant.’

The will, which a political leadership needed to show was missing and without it, it was hard to win this war, said Raja Nasir Abbas.

Calling for an in house change, he said nation needs a new ruler which could show courage in fighting against the elements which had been claiming innocent human lives.

”This is not the war which comes to end in days or weeks, we as a nation will have to fight for years and get united on one page to defeat terrorists” said Raja Nasir Abbas. He said Iraqi nation and armed forces had snatched back major portion of Iraq from Daish and same spirit was needed in Pakistan and all the stakeholders must play their due role.

“Ulemas must avoid anything which could cause disunity among us, let the militants not seek shelter of Madressahs” said Raja Nasir Abbas.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi in his address on the occasion said that terrorism, for last many years had been prevailing in Pakistan as well as many other countries of the world and claimed many innocent lives. The Peshawar incident, he said had jolted the entire nation and compelled civil,  military leadership to be on same page against terrorism.

He said the National Action Plan which came to surface after the All Parties Conference had forced the leadership to ponder what needed to be done. Qureshi stated that the need of hour was to learn lesson from this tragedy and urged nation that we need to unite, not disperse at this critical moment.

He said there were apprehensions in the minds of many that the National Action Plan which had been given to eliminate terrorism would be implemented or fail to deliver. He said for last many years, terrorists had caused huge loss to the country, leaders like Benazir Bhutto were  targeted but at the same time, it was true that her assassin were not arrested.

Similarly, he said MQM leadership had also been voicing concern over the target killing of its workers but it was also fact that it remained part of government.

He said we need to check why our judicial system failed to convict terrorist, did we provide enough security to judges, did we properly equip police in countering terrorism, were required measures taken by different government in addressing the issue. These were the points, he said that need to be discussed. Peshawar tragedy was really condemnable but what happened in Pindi recently when Imambargah was attacked also deserved serious attention.

We are proud of Army, brave soldiers who had rendered great sacrifices in operation Zarb e Azb but at the same time, we must realize that in past many operations had also taken place in past and must find the answer whether they were successful or not.

“If we start pointing fingers at each other to degrade our political opponents, situation will not improve” said the PTI leader. We also had to bring into mainstream even those who differed from us in and we must think wisely, rather than acting sentimentally. We need to find causes of the disease which was damaging us and not necessarily, there were internal elements all the time behind the crisis in our country nreshd must not ignore the external forces working against us, said Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Sheikh Waqas Akram, former Federal Minister and PML-N leader, who hails from the city of Jhang while addressing the conference said that he was grateful to MWM for inviting him in the event. He said those living in jhang had been facing the similar situation for last many years which was prevailing in our country. He said two decades ago, people were ‘butchered’ by inhuman elements in Jhang and against this tyranny, entire nation had got united now.

He said only in the district of Jhang, there had been many who were slain but remain unnoticed many years ago but their sacrifice couldn’t gain any attention due absence of a vibrant media. He said the true following of the teachings Holy Prophet (PBUH) are the only common point through which all sects can get united against the terrorist mindset. He said before Holy Prophet (PBUH), the era of tyranny, bloodshed, hypocrisy was continued but when he spread the true message and raised voice against the prevailing evils, situation changed.

He said unfortunately, the similar circumstances were faced by the people of this world and the teachings of Holy Prophet (PBUH) were the only way to bring change and ensure peace of the society.

He said mere verbal claims were not enough to be the follower of ‘Sihaabas’ but one had to adopt their ways in lives. He said it was unfortunate that for petty interests, politicians didn’t  give the due importance to this issue of terrorism but this was no more acceptable now.

The leaders of this nation had ‘protected’ their own children at the cost of others and now it was time to act as true leaders and muster up the courage to call a spade a spade and fight against the terrorist mindset. Whether you’re a judge, politician or a common man, you have to reject them, this is no more a Shia Sunni fight, its fight of entire nation” said Waqas.

“Those innocent children who were slain in Peshawar were not targeted in connection with Shia Sunni rife, that was a different us story, now its time to eliminate them, we will eliminate you whether you are Taliban, Shetan, Mardood” said the PML-N leader.

“Governments come to power and departs, if government will not fight, state will fight but let me assure you that  PML-N government is fighting against them’ said Waqas. He said many suspected elements had been arrested and many more would be put behind the bar by Punjab government, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Balochistan.

‘This country doesn’t belong to a government, its for all and State of Pakistan will prevail” said Sheikh Waqas Akram. He said we need to rise as a nation, the days of mourning were over and it was time to fight, eliminate terrorists and purge the country from them to ensure  good future for our coming generations. “

“I am a Sunni but will never endorse the agenda of Sipah Sihaba, and never allow Talibans to impose their agenda” said Sheikh Waqas Akram. He said that in PPP era, dialogue process with Molvi Fazal Ullah was initiated but for no avail. He said he wasn’t against negotiations but with these barbaric elements, the time of dialogue was over and it was time for action.

PPP ticket holder from NA-122 Barrister Amir Hassan, addressing the conference said there was a dire need to shutdown the religious seminaries which were imparting training to terrorists.

However, he said more important was to put an end to a mindset which has nothing to do with Islam but promoting the agenda of Abu Jahal and Yazeed. He said the entire nation had got united against this mindset and the debate of ‘Good and Bad Talibans’ is over adding everyone had realized that these elements were barbaric, inhuman and their agenda couldn’t be endorsed.

Amir Hassan also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto for raising voice against these elements without caring for her life.

Tahawar Abbas from ISO in his address on the occasion said that the basic need of our nation is restoration of peace of the society and efforts of MWM in this regard were commendable.

He said only Islam provides the solution of the problems faced by the entire world and having felt threatened from the popularity of this religion, anti Islam elements had hatched conspiracy against us.

The ruling elite had a key role in addressing the grievances faced by our weak people and there was a dire need to promote unity to combat any conspiracy hatched by our enemies and purge our country from those who were tarnishing our image worldwide.

President Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Dr Raheeq Abbasi in his address on the occasion said that concept of ‘Jihad’ had been wrongly interpreted and the misguided elements were following a mindset which had weakened the roots of our federation. He said this mindset laid foundation of terrorism and now we, as a nation also had to wage war against them from different fronts.

One front belongs to Pak Army which had been fulfilling its responsibility with utmost dedication in form of Operation Zarb e Azb. Besides, he said ulemas also had an important role on their respective front and they must play their role in portraying the true picture of Islam and show the real teachings which Islam had taught us. He said the Holy Prophet (PBUH) gave importance to the life of human beings and directed us not to harm women, children, elderly people even in war. He said true implementation of Islamic  principles are vital in addressing the issues faced by nation.

He said the PAT Chairman Dr Tahir ul Qadri had suggested expulsion of the lessons from school, college syllabus which were meant to create biases among students adding but the religious seminaries were not willing to end promoting their agenda. He said unless the sitting government acted sincerely and with clean intentions, situation could not improve and stated that within hours, 16 innocent people were eliminated at Model Town on June 16 just because the government was willing to launch an ‘operation.’ Unfortunately, he said the real terrorists hubs were still existing and they would continue to exist unless persons like Rana Sana Ullah Khan and many like him were associated with power corridors.

If the government wanted to eliminate terrorism, it must put its own house in order and expel  those  who were supporters of extremist elements.

Allama Raghib Naeemi, head of Jamia Naeemia in his address on the occasion said that we wanted complete elimination of anti state elements and complete endorsed legislation against terrorism.

He also said that we were ready to render any sacrifice and go to any extent to support restoration of durable peace in the country. Peshawar tragedy, he said had proved that Pakistan wasn’t supporting terrorism but infact its people were a victim of it. He said terrorists had no religion and no one should attend the funeral of those who had no link with Islam.

Nasir Shirazi, head of MWM ‘s political wing stated that there a difference between ‘difference of opinion and disrespect’ and the terrorists, who were showing no respect to humanity must be paid back in the same coin. Over Shia killings, Nasir said ‘we are the natural defence’ of Pakistan and were those who buried our martyrs after wrapping them in national flag in Quetta where anti  Pakistan elements were not allowing anyone to hoist the green flag. He said for Pakistan, we were ready to go any extent.

He paid rich tribute to Aitezaz Hassan Bangash, a 14 years old boy of district Hangu who sacrificed his life to save many others and added if the government had prevented target killings in Karachi, massacre in Quetta and other parts, Peshawar incident would have never occurred.