The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), a conglomerate of 20 religious groups of Barelvi school of thought, on Sunday issued a religious decree against suicide attacks. It claimed over 1,000 religious scholars from 55 countries had signed the ruling.
It also announced a Karachi-Islamabad train march from Aug 14 besides holding conventions of professionals, students, women and workers.
The announcements came at a “Stability of Pakistan Sunni Conference” held at Minar-i-Pakistan lawns here.
The participants picketed Circular Road outside the venue as the police closed its entrances and kept forcing the organisers to shift their event to Attiq Stadium nearby. They were allowed entry only in the afternoon.
The event was used to declare the SIC’s political agenda by announcing it an electoral alliance for the next polls.
SIC chairman Fazle Karim, an MNA, warned the rulers of a ‘decisive’ movement against them if they did not change their style of governance by Aug 14.Making public the alliance’s manifesto, he promised an end to political dynasties, protecting women rights, solving Kashmir dispute, auctioning properties of those who got their bank loans written off, distributing state land among the landless, ending deprivations of people of Balochistan and promoting the politics of dialogue instead of arms.
More than a dozen resolutions were also adopted by the participants. These included calling for foolproof security for Sufi shrines, stopping banned organisations from working under new names, improving prosecution for punishing terrorists, seeking a worthwhile share for scholars of Barelvi school of thought as prayer leaders in mosques throughout the country, seeking release of slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer’s killer Mumtaz Qadri, supporting ongoing military operations in tribal areas against Taliban, and demanding dismissal of Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah.
Former federal minister Haji Hanif Tayyab regretted that both the federal as provincial governments failed to maintain law and order in the country. He lamented that no accused involved in attacks on shrines had been arrested so far.
He said the rulers were defending their vested interest while they (the scholars) were defending the country.
