Express News screengrab of Professor Ibrahim speaking to a gathering at Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) offices in Peshawar on April 27, 2014.
Ibrahim, who is a member of the Taliban peace talks committee, refuted the view that one cannot negotiate with a group that does not recognise the constitution. He gave the example of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, saying that he had violated the constitution by not holding elections within the given time-frame.
Addressing a gathering at the JI office in Peshawar, the provincial chief of the party said that Pakistan is paying a price for being involved in another country’s war and former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf is to be blamed for that.
He added that peace talks were the only way forward, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) was not the only party insisting on talks with the TTP.
COMMENTS (53)
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@Raj - USA:
Well put Yaar !
Love all Serve all
It appears to me that Pakistan has got entangled in religious mess . Islamic republic should be governed by Sharia and not by modern norms of governance . People of Pakistan are now at a cross road to decide among the two mentioned choice . In my opinion only a secular Pakistan can coexist peacefuly with all her neighbors or be ready to fall in a deep ditch .
@Talkischeap:
"Hahaha! Sharia is not the constitution. Therefore you’d only abide by the constitution if it was changed to suit your cave-dwelling tastes. Sorry the vast majority would rather not."
Wrong. If you have ever read the Constitution you will realize that every law and governance must correspond to Islamic law and teachings. Sharia and Islamic teachings have been enshrined in the Constitution as the fundamental building blocks. What Prof. Ibrahim is demanding is well justified unless Pakistani Constitution is changed to remove all reference to Islam and thus remove the name "Islamic" from the designation "Islamic Republic of Pakistan".
Can't win at the polls. Now they try to terrorise us into submission.
@Saif: Jurisprudence is there in every religion. Muslims do not know this because they have no knowledge of any other religion. Can you give one example of any jurisprudence adopted by the West, that is found only in Islam and not in any other religion? Considering that Islam is the newest of all major religions, it can be said that Islam copied these jurisprudence from other religions and not the other way.
Yes I agree...Also give me $5 billion and I will also abide by the constitution...
@Vikram: "@Muhammad Tausif: Can you name a few Muslim countries that follow true Islamic laws?"
Yes, quite a few in fact, USA, Norway, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand to name a few who practice the true spirit of Islamic jurisprudence, although they don't call themselves "Muslim countries" or claim to implement "Islamic" laws:"
@Muhammad Tausif: Can you name a few Muslim countries that follow true Islamic laws?
@sami: BTW, did you move to Afghanistan during the Taliban rule era so you enjoy their fabulous version of Sharia???
@sami:
Well believe it or not, there are plenty of Muslims who'd rather live under a progressive, democratic welfare state rather than under sharia. Those laws may have been suitable 1,400 years ago, but we have to adapt to the changing times.
Every ordinary man and woman want sharia to be implemented on them in pakistan. Like it or not but thats the reality. Just look at the reports from different kind of organisations from different countries. The results from all these reports shows that. I dont understand on which foundation these comments abt we dont want sharia etc are written.
@Indian:
You do not offend any one; now that you have decided to present Modi in persona, the great warrior follower of Asoka who has declared to approve temple constructions where currently mosques stand.
Rex Minor
@A-No.1: You have one next door to Pakistan! lucky you,
Rex Minor
@Mj.. I think you are not muslim that why you don't want sharia.. Actually ET is filled of fake liberals who want to implement their ideology through these rubbish comments.
Islamic Republic Of Pakistan's English constituation has to change one day! today or later, a Islamic Country without Islamic Laws how to call it Islamic?
Why blame Prof. Ibrahim and TTP alone?
Look at the conduct of Pakistan's Election Commission and its Judiciary during the last elections. They were vetting candidates on criteria such as: if they pray 5 times a day, if they know Islamic rites of preparing dead bodies for burial, etc. Does these have anything to do with forming a government?
Even the Assembly of a province passed resolution that all members of the Assembly should pray 5 times a day.
Bringing religion in everything can only bring in results like: (1) Youtube can never be unblocked, however hard anyone may try. (2) Opposition to Polio and other vaccinations can never be removed. (3) Educational curriculum can never be modernized. (4) Practices of child marriages can never be stopped. (5) Blasphemy laws can never be amended.
@Sam: Stakeholder and shareholder are two different terms and not interchangeable. The government has deemed TTP as takeholders, so it is unclear why you are correcting someone who is accurately quoting government and putting your own interpretation in?
@The Failed Rebel: Shariah maybe as wonderful as you say it is but what is the guarantee that it will not be interpreted and implemented in the manner that Afghan Taliban did? Do you have an example of a country where shariah has been implemented and where human rights ( not just rights of Sunni muslims) are well respected?
Do they even know what Sharia is?
Why are these unelectable messengers of hate, ignorance and bigotry being granted so much media attention? Why are they being granted legitimacy; is it because they are cogs of larger "Strategic Depth" wheel? Or is it because Pakistani media thrives on sensationalism?
@The Failed Rebel: All we get from pro-sharia people is rhetoric. Please feel free to give us details how your interpretation of sharia will be different and counter all the ills you have mentioned?
Wow! All these comments and India still out of the picture! Feels so healthy.
@Jibran: 1stl STAKEHOLDER: ANYONE who is effected by the decision of the government. I think the word you are looking for is shareholder something the government has not made TTP etc. If you insist on using business terminology atleast get it right a FACT the MEDIA also needs to get RIGHT. Stop spreading false information. Appreciated.
Hahaha! Sharia is not the constitution. Therefore you'd only abide by the constitution if it was changed to suit your cave-dwelling tastes. Sorry the vast majority would rather not.
God bless Pakistan best wishes from Indian hope and wish all are happy in Pakistan. Hope all the people follow Live and Let live(Liberalism) formula and everyone mind there own business Live and Let live. People who want sharia let them follow Sharia people who don't want let them not follow, no one should enforce their views on others with violence(gun) or hate speech. If some one wants to go to madrassa let him go or some one want to got to English education let him go. No one should hurt the feelings of others, if some one wants to wear a burkha let her wear if she doesn't want to wear let her not, if someone believes in god let him if he doesn't believe let him not. Everyone has liberty(freedom), he/she can live as he/she likes unless he/she offends others. If he wants to become a mullah let him become if he wants to become kafir let him become. I may be wrong with my views sorry if I have offended any one. Let Everyone be loved let him be a Kafir or a Mullah.
Total Nonsense!
@Necromancer:
Exactly. We do not want sharia. We want progress and change along with the rest of the world, instead of being ruled over by static 1400 year old Arab laws, norms, and customs.
his memory is failing...it was Zia and Jamat-e-islami who got us involved in Afghanistan by inviting USA....this so call jehad was funded by CIA............now there is hidden agenda of J.I. which want to come in power on the back of TTP
@Wali..can't agree more..
Before blaming Gen. Musharraf they should look in the mirror it was their links with Al Qaeda that led to this precarious position that Mush had to compromise. Why could they not stay away from Al Qaeda's war with US?
go back to your hole and leave the Pakistan alone plz
NO THANKS
Question: Has their version of 'sharia' made them good human beings? Have they not ruthlessly murdered other Muslim Pakistani citizens?
My people! If some country/nation has misinterpreted Shariah that doesn't mean that Shariah is abusive. Infact it's very just and progressive. Shariah is opposed by strong media lobbies and businesses because that system of law will counter inflation, poverty, mafias, lobbying etc. It's a big debate, it's about time we Pakistanis educate ourselves with the law before thinking that Shariah was what Zia ul Haq implemented.
The math is simple how many seats these so cold mulana wins in ever election. not more then 30 seats out of the total numbers of seats. If Pakistan want sharia law all of the people should vote for them and then they can implement sharia non sharia what ever law they want
Pitty that PMLN has made traitors like him the stakeholders.
Maulana sahab what if we don't want sharia........how about that for a change
We need peoples like Mr Ghamedi, Mr Hasan Nisar, IK, we don't want half mullah, half tabeeb.
Take a look how Sharia was interpreted in Afghanistan when the Taliban were in control - no TV, no internet, no school for girls, no newspapers, public executions and no future.
I would rather have a non-sharia infidel led government then be governed by these losers.
@ ET and All those who are presenting their own explanations,
As per my understanding from reading urdu version of Express new, the modified version of this story is
" If Government implemented sharia law ACCORDING TO CONSTITUTION OF PAKISTAN - than TTP won't have any problem to follow that law"
Professor comes from the school of "I dont recognize Pakistan" known as JI that opposed creation of Pakistan, then why should they recognize its constitution the same one their leaders signed and agreed upon!
Sharia needs to be properly implemented in Pakistan. We should be ashamed that after 67 years we still do not true Islamic law.
We do not subscribe to your myopic concept of sharia based on tribal traditions and lack of religious and world knowledge by people like you. The concept where women are treated like domestic animals and education is regarded as evil.
Sick of this non sense they don't have other things to do
Can you explain whose sharia are we talking about? We have a lot of sharia laws that are practically abused every day and we have islaic ideological council who comes up with ideas/edicts that are old arab cultural norms rather than sharia.
Both committee members are on TTP payroll
Perhaps his memory is failing him. It was General Zia ul Haq who got us involved into another country's war i.e Afghanistan and Russia. History should not be twisted according to one's liking.