Upcoming general elections: PUC to form alliance with like-minded political, religious organisations

No party in the country can win the elections without support from religious organisations, says PUC chairperson

KARACHI: The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) will fully participate in the next general elections and will enter into an alliance with like-minded political and religious organisations to contest the next elections.

This was stated by PUC chairperson Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.

No political party in the country can win the elections without support from religious organisations, said Ashrafi.

He also announced that the Second World Message of Islam Conference will be held on March 1, 2017, at the Convention Centre Islamabad on the prevailing challenges to the Islamic world and for elimination of terrorism, extremism and sectarian violence.

Ashrafi also pointed out that conspiracies are being hatched to divide the Muslim world on sectarian grounds and the enemies of Islam are making nefarious designs to distort the peace in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Bahrain after playing havoc in Libya, Iraq and Syria.

"Political and religious organisations of Pakistan should come forward with a unanimous stance for unity of the Muslim Ummah," he said, adding that the intensity in anti-Pakistan conspiracies has witnessed a sharp increase since the inception of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, which is tantamount to Pakistan's progress and prosperity.

Pakistan made enormous sacrifices for the Afghan people but today, the Afghan president is making anti-Pakistan statements while the situation has come to the point that Afghan soil is being utilised for anti-Pakistan engagements, said Ashrafi.

The ongoing political mess in Pakistan should be settled with consultation of all the political stakeholders of the country, he said.

Commenting on the situation of peace in the city, he said that operation Zarb-e-Azb and the Karachi operation played a key role in restoring peace all over Pakistan.

He also mentioned that all the sections of the National Action Plan should be implemented and it should not be limited to mosques and seminaries.

The non-Muslim communities living in Pakistan should not feel insecure, said Ashrafi, adding that Ulemas and religious leadership have always played a key role in protecting minorities and will ensure rights for non-Muslims as defined in the Constitution of Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2016.