In their efforts to eradicate sectarianism and promote harmony, the National Ulema and Mashaikh Council has announced setting up offices at the provincial level, local media reports have informed.
The council in its meeting, presided by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, on Monday was also briefed by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) on crackdown against elements spreading religious hatred and sectarianism.
Qadri, in his address, said the aims of the council reflected ‘our religious and national goals’. He said that the sectarian chaos had affected the entire Muslim community and that the biggest aim of the council is to “remove the strife among different schools of thought.”
During the meeting, Nacta officials also presented statistics on operations against elements spreading religious hatred.
The Nacta officials also shared that a board for unity of ulema has been set up in Punjab and added that Nacta is ready to support establishment of similar boards in other provinces. They called for all the boards to be governed under the Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs.
The meeting concluded with the federal secretary for religious affairs presenting a joint declaration according to which ulema boards would be established at the provincial level. It is also decided that delegates from the National Ulema and Mashaikh Council would regularly visit religious seminaries.
Furthermore, the word ‘minorities’ would be replaced by the term ‘non-Muslims’ while efforts would be made to give legal status to the council.
The council would also play its role in the federal government’s plantation drive. The federal minister announced that Dawat-e-Islami had set a target to plant 1 billion trees in the country and urged madrasas to do the same.
