News Desk |
The Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withhold Rana Sanaullah’s victory notification, according to media reports.
According to the reports, the PTI candidate Dr. Nisar Ahmed had challenged the victory of PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah from NA-106 pleading that the former law minister allegedly harmed the sanctity of Islam by stating that welcoming Nawaz was a bigger task as compared to performing Hajj.
A resident of Faisalabad’s Ghulam Muhammad Abad area named Javed Arshad last week had also filed a petition against Rana Sanaullah for hurting religious sentiments.
Surprisingly, the Lahore High Court Bar Association also banned the entry of Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for allegedly favoring Ahmadies in October 2017.
The petitioner alleged that Rana Sanaullah has hurt the sentiments of Muslims by terming Nawaz Sharif’s reception as biggest and more sacred act than Hajj [annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah].
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Rana Sanaullah Generates a New Controversy
Former Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that “some Ulema do not consider the Qadianis as non-Muslims. They go to mosques and recite ‘Azan’. The Qadianis also do not consider themselves non-Muslims. However, fatwas against them are another thing.”
Such comments by a sitting minister on national TV in a country like Pakistan where religion us deeply linked with the state affairs thrown Mr. Sana into troubled waters. He was criticized by many religious scholars and was also asked to appear before a board of Ulema to explain his comments.
Moreover, the minister also said that it was responsibility of the government to provide for their livelihood and property. “The opposition with the Qadianis is over the Khatm-i-Nubuwwat issue. The Fatwas and sentiments against them are another thing,” he said.
A resident of Faisalabad’s Ghulam Muhammad Abad area named Javed Arshad last week had also filed a petition against Rana Sanaullah for hurting religious sentiments.
Qadianis are considered non-Muslims by some conservative segments of the society; the minority is often the target of violence and persecution. Rana Sanaullah has made some irresponsible comments about the Qadianis on the national TV, which might cost him his seat,
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Clarifications by Rana Sanaullah
While addressing a press conference on October 13, 2017, to clarify the matter, Mr. Sanaullah stated, “I said that Ahmedis pretend to be Muslims as they quote Quranic verses and perform religious rituals just like us in a bid to propagate their faith. But let me state it very clearly that according to Islam and Pakistan’s constitution, those who do not believe in Khatam-e-Nabuwwat (Finality of Prophethood) are not Muslims.”
He also said that all other minority communities in Pakistan are enjoying equal status as citizens of the country. Ahmedis will have equal rights to if they admit to the fact that they are not Muslims and are a religious minority”.
The minority is often the target of violence and persecution. Rana Sanaullah has made some irresponsible comments about the Qadianis on the national TV, which might cost him his seat.
“It is our duty to protect minorities of the country but the Ahmedis will first have to stop claiming to be Muslims. There is no other way around it,” he said. Surprisingly, the Lahore High Court Bar Association also banned the entry of Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for allegedly favoring Ahmadies in October 2017.
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“The women who attended the rally were not from honourable families because their dance moves implied where they had actually come from,” stated Rana once. Later on, the party had to issue a clarification that Mr. Sana was responsible for his comments, not the party.