News Analysis |
More than 1800 clerics in Pakistan have issued a fatwa against suicide bombings. The fatwa called the ‘Paigham-i-Pakistan’ fatwa was unveiled by President Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday and was also attended by several other senior ministers. The President said that the issuance of the fatwa is a step in the right direction and it would go a long way in a projecting a positive image of Pakistan in the world. He also said that this fatwa is in light of true teachings of Islam and proves that Islam is a religion of brotherhood, tolerance and accommodation.
Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal who was also present at the ceremony of the fatwa, said that to make the future of our country secure, we need to create a peaceful and stable society. ‘We need to introspect and look within ourselves to solve our problems rather than hypothesizing conspiracy theories’, he said. Ahsan Iqbal also emphasized that Pakistan was not created to become an addition to the poorest nations of the world, but that Pakistan will prove that Muslims have the ability to be a successful nation.
The US rhetoric of do more and its blatant accusations against Pakistan of supporting terrorism have done a great deal damage to Pakistan’s image.
He urged Pakistanis to focus on self-reliance and create a strong national narrative; where it should focus on our common strengths rather than emphasize our differences. Talking about the fatwa, Iqbal said the fatwa will provide a platform for national unity which would help us to fulfil Quaid’s dream and make Pakistan an Asian tiger. Indirectly pointing towards the US, the interior minister said that the forces who fought the Soviet Union, left behind piles of weapon and the poorest segments of society, while they have washed their hands of the affair, Pakistan is suffering the backlash.
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Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, while addressing the ceremony encouraged the nation to own the fatwa and back all national institutions that are working against terrorism. Asif said that Pakistani nation has rejected all forms of terrorism and extremism and that the land of Pakistan shall not be allowed to use against any form of terrorism. He said that the positive results of the fatwa will soon appear in the light.
Ahsan Iqbal also emphasized that Pakistan was not created to become an addition to the poorest nations of the world, but that Pakistan will prove that Muslims have the ability to be a successful nation.
Pakistan has been plagued by violence by extremists and terrorists for over a decade now. While individual fatwas have appeared before but no such collective directive has been seen in the past. Critics of Pakistani military, whether they are foreign or domestic, have accused the Pakistani military of sponsoring terrorism and providing them safe harbor but no military has sacrificed more lives in the fight against terrorism than Pakistan. This fatwa can be considered a response to Donald Trump’s allegation that Pakistan is harboring terrorists.
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A former US intelligence acknowledged Pakistan’s effort in the fight against terrorism, while talking to the The New Yorker in a private interview, said, ‘Nobody had taken more bad guys off the battlefield than the Pakistanis.’ He also said that no matter how friendly Pakistan becomes, Afghanistan will never become Switzerland. US assistant Secretary of State Alice Wells on her visit to Pakistan has also acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts and sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
The US rhetoric of do more and its blatant accusations against Pakistan of supporting terrorism have done a great deal damage to Pakistan’s image.