Heinous attack: ‘Terror lacks religious sanction’

Ministers address conference at Human Rights and Minorities’ Affairs Department’s office.

LAHORE: Ports and Shipping Minister Kamran Michael and Provincial Minister for Minorities’ Affairs Tahir Khalil Sindhu condemned the Peshawar attack on Thursday.

They were speaking to reporters at the office of the Human Rights and Minorities’ Affairs Department. The ministers said the incident had aggrieved them. They said the nation would never be able to forgive those responsible for staging the brazen attack. The ministers said the time was ripe for decisive action against anti-state elements to rid the nation of terror and transform it into a welfare state according to the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal. They said this was imperative to secure the futures of the following generations. The ministers stressed the need for unity to take anti-state elements to task.

The ministers said they would not shirk from sacrificing their lives for the nation. They said terrorism had no religion and no person with a conscience could support them. The ministers said the minorities had come forward and censured the Peshawar attack. They said all Christmas celebrations had been cancelled in wake of the carnage. The ministers said special prayers for the deceased had been organised at temples and churches nationwide.

They said Christmas would be observed solemnly to send a message of harmony and unity with the nation. The ministers said terrorism was devoid of religious sanction and the precedents set by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were incomparable in this regard. Special prayers for the deceased and national unity were also offered on the occasion.

Lawmakers Shakeel Ivan, Tariq Masih Gill and Mary Gill were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2014.