Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Pakistani nation will have to unite to crush terrorism and face with full might the enemies who are weakening the country. Addressing ‘Shaheed-e-Pakistan Seminar’ at the second death anniversary of Mufti Sarfaraz Husain Naeemi at Jamia Naeemia, Garhi Shahu, on Sunday, he said time had come to get rid of the oppressive system and introduce a system in the light of Uswa-e-Hasna and Meesaq-e-Madina, based on equality and justice. He urged ulema to come forward at this critical juncture for the solidarity of the country and play their due role to promote unity. Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, South African Parliament member and former Jamia Naeemia student, Pir Syed Rafiq Husain Shah, MNAs, MPAs, ulema, Mushaikh, intellectuals and a large number of students were present on the occasion. Jamia Naeemia Mohtamim Dr Raghib Husain Naeemi presented the address of welcome. The chief minister said Pakistan was passing through the most critical phase of its history and facing terrorism which had shaken the roots of the country.
He lamented that innocent Pakistanis were being killed in the war on terrorism. He added 35,000 citizens, 5,000 officers and jawans of Pak Army and police as well as their children had embraced martyrdom. He observed terrorism was spreading across the country, so the nation would have to unite on a single platform and ensure supremacy of justice and equitable distribution of resources as well as elimination of economic and social disparity. The CM said only a handful of elite were enjoying privileges while 85 per cent population of the country was deprived of even basic facilities. He remarked it was not that Pakistan which was envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal and for which lakhs of lives were sacrificed. He said, “We are facing problems and crises as we have forgotten Islamic teachings.
He added the Punjab government had taken the historic decision of rejecting such alms of outsiders as brought disgrace to the country and added no patriotic Pakistani could accept foreign assistance at the cost of national honour and lives of innocent citizens.
Paying rich tributes to Dr Sarfaraz Hussain Naeemi, the chief minister said he stood by truth and set an enduring example by laying down his life for the supremacy of Islam. He had played an important role for the stability of Pakistan, unity of Muslim Ummah and promotion of Islamic teachings. The seminar was also addressed by Dr Raghib Husain Naeemi, former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Pir Syed Rafiq Shah, Haji Muhammad Rafiq Ahmed Barkati and Sohail Warraich. Earlier, the chief minister offered fateha at the grave of Dr Sarfaraz Husain Naeemi and prayed for the departed soul.
