PM urges Ulema to counter narrative of extremists

Accuses some elements of sowing discord and trying to divide nation on basis of provincialism

LAHORE: Calling upon religious scholars to play an ‘effective role’ in promoting unity and peace in society, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has enlisted their help in dispelling the propaganda against the true teachings of Islam.

“Terrorism cannot be defeated until Ulema play an effective role in carving out a counter narrative against the ideology of terrorists,” Nawaz said on Saturday. He was addressing a seminar at Darul Uloom Jamia Naeemia in commemoration of the late Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi.

“It is for the religious scholars to present the true message of our peaceful religion. The need of the hour is to put forward the narrative of our forefathers who made mosques and shrines the centres for peace,” he added.

Nawaz said seminaries had always been the centres of religious education and effective source to dispel any misleading propaganda aimed at creating disharmony among the society.

“Through a collective effort, Ulema must foil all attempts, aimed at creating fissures in the society and must strengthen peace in the country. Religious leaders can spread the true picture of the religion,” he added.



Nawaz said the young generation should also be educated in the teachings of Islam from the pulpits of mosques and seminaries. Through such a narrative, a new generation should be taught that those elements carrying out massacres in the name of sectarianism have no relation with the religion.



Extremism, according to the PM, is falsely being spread in the name of Islam, adding that the second aspect of this menace was a distorted concept of Jihad.

“Through these misunderstood concepts, Muslims are first excluded from the folds of Islam and later killed. People with such ideology are the ones facilitating terrorist activities,” he said.

He said fanning negative sentiments of sectarianism and distortion of the real message of Jihad have led to the rise of extremism in the world. They have sowed the seeds of discord among Muslims and carried out inhuman acts, he said.

Besides creating fissures on religious and sectarianism basis, the PM said deviant elements were also trying to sow seeds of discord by spreading provincialism. “They are trying to avenge themselves for being rejected by the public,” he added.

But the PML-N, he said, would foil all such conspiracies and play its role to further forge unity among members of society as the Muslim League had done at the time of the creation of Pakistan by uniting the Muslims of India.

Nawaz said his party would thwart negative propaganda and provincial prejudices among the Punjabi, Pakhtun, Baloch, Sindhi, Mohajir and other federating units.

He said the nation had rejected such attempts by making the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Lahore a success. “Through the PSL, the nation showed that Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Karachi – all are against terrorism. We are knitted together in the bonds of brotherhood,” he added.

Urging religious leaders to raise their voice against provincialism as well, he said the PML-N government, with the help of Ulema would discard elements of hatred and disunity.

Digitisation of police stations

In another ceremony held in connection with digitisation of police stations, the PM said it was his government’s aim to provide an effective, efficient and public-friendly police force equipped with state-of-the-art technology to face modern day challenges.

“Registration of an FIR is a vital step in the criminal justice system. The situation should be improved through a changed outlook and behaviour of police personnel, deputed to deal with complainants,” he said.

Referring to the functioning of the Motorway Police, he said such improvements were difficult but not impossible.  He said there was a complaint that the existing investigation process had loopholes, which led to the acquittal of the accused.



“The training of police force should, therefore, lay emphasis on improving skills for investigation. Young and well-educated lot should be inducted through the services commission,” he added.

He said other provinces should emulate the improvements made by the Punjab Police as it was his government’s mission to develop all the federating units equally.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2017.