The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) on Sunday condemned in unison the sectarian violence in District Bhakkar that resulted in loss of some 15 lives and demanded of the government to launch a judicial inquiry of the incident and to remove the ineligible police officials who failed to control the situation.
During an event titled “Istehkam-e-Pakistan Conference” here at local hotel, leadership of more 30 religious organisations participated in the event and where they also welcomed the recent statement by Premier Nawaz Sharif to negotiate with the militant groups.
Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Chairman Pakistan Ulema Conference, said Pakistan wanted peaceful relations with neighbors, however, India should not consider it as their weakness.
Condemning the tragic incidents of Bhakkar and Quetta, Ashrafi termed it an attempt to disturb the peace of the whole country pledging that the nation would foil such bids.
Ashrafi said it was decided that a reconciliation committee would be constituted to initiate talks with Shia community, Sunni groups, Balochs and various Taliban groups to play their part in bringing to the country.
Pakistan Muslim League (Ziaul Haq) President and Member National Assembly Ejazul Haq was of the view that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan were facing different issues, however, the government had not elaborated any clear policy.
The country, Ejazul Haq added, was on the fire but the rulers were sitting quite and silent.
The Indian government would blame Pakistan even on petty issues notwithstanding its (Indian) involvement in Afghanistan and Pakistan was not hidden from any one, he maintained.
Haq stressed it was not the time to trade onions and potatoes with India but to resolve serious issues like Kashmir and water crises.
Imam Hussain Council Dr Ghazanfar Mehdi said there was no sectarianism in the country but a foreign hand which was behind the disturbing situation across the country.
“Strong and hard measures are required to bring peace in the country and to discourage such attempts,” Mehdi said.
Maulana Abdul Qadeer Khamosh said if Al-Jehbatul Nusrah, Al-Nusrah Front and foreign militants in Syria were involved in illegal activities then the role of Hezbollah was also suspicious.
During the concluding session of the conference, a joint declaration was passed exhorting the government to launch a judicial probe of Bhakkar incident, condemning Indian aggression on Line of Control, expressing solidarity with Pakistani armed forces, denouncing killings of innocent Muslims in Egypt and Syria, urging UN and OIC to resolve both the international issues, condemning Bhakkar and Islamabad incidents, condemning violence against non-Muslims in Karachi and Hyderabad and demanding government to invite all the parties even not sitting in the parliament to participate in all parties conference.