CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Chairs a Meeting of Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen Committee for Maintaining Peace in Muharram

LAHORE, 04 July:
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “The need for the active role of the Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen Committee has never been greater than as it is today. We all strive to display beautiful face of our religion before the world. Today’s situation is a cause of great concern for me as a Chief Minister.”
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen Committee Punjab in which proposals for the Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen in Muharram ul Harram were put forth. The meeting was attended by scholars of all schools of thought, eminent Mushaikh along with academic and religious personalities. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif welcomed all the participants for attending the meeting.
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif while addressing said, “I feel as if I am sitting among my family. I was brought up in a religious family and it was Nawaz Sharif who constituted the Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen Committee. The committee meeting should be held once in three months instead of annually.”
She added, “It is my foremost duty to enforce the law and dispense justice. When the crime is proved, the criminal should be punished and such people should be sent behind the bar. In Sahiwal, the crime of committing rape with a child was proved in a seminary. When the police undertook action on it then fatwas were issued against me on social media. When the crime is proven, we must catch the culprit and bring him to justice. She said that if we do not put it into practice then we fail to present the bright face of our religion to the people. It is the responsibility of all of us to support the truth. The incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran are increasing day by day. It is heartrending to hear such gruesome incidents. I want all of us to sit together to prevent such incidents and see what is the reason behind increase in such incidents. I carry in my blood love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the religion of Islam. Obeying the commandments of religion is part of my training. Come what may, we must not take the law into our own hands and issue fatwas.”
The Chief Minister added, “My duty is to do justice, no Muslim, Hindu or Christian remains a criminal after the conviction of crime and the criminal must be punished. We were subjected to political point scoring in 2018. We sustained bullets and faced accusations as well. The incident which happened with Nawaz Sharif was highly heartrending for me. Calling someone a thief or a bandit does not hurt as much as the accusation of blasphemy is levelled on someone. My father was disqualified on the eve of my mother’s election. My mother got cancer and had to go for treatment, I was running her election campaign alone. The way these accusations were made by a few individuals and a political party was very painful for me. Ahsan Iqbal belongs to a very religious family, he was also shot and Allah Almighty saved his life. I myself have gone through this painful experience. By making announcements without research, people are gathered and arson begins. By discussing the issues, we can move towards decision making.”
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “More than 50 thousand social media accounts and pages have been blocked by the Punjab government. Today, a man is giving fatwas on social media about girls’ school. The religious feelings linked with Muharram are not only the feelings of the Shia school of thought rather they are shared by all of us. I issued clear orders to all the officers of the police department to go to the scholars in all the districts. The police officers have been ordered to meet the scholars to find out their problems and solve them. The security and safety of the Majalis is the responsibility of the Punjab government. I want to do something more than the traditional arrangements which will give the impression that we are standing with our Shiite brothers.”
She added, “I have issued orders to install sabeels of sweet liquid (Sharbat) on all the routes of the procession. Punjab government will also facilitate in distributing food and Niaz on the procession route. A central control room will be set up in all districts, which will be monitored by me. Defamation law was never needed in Pakistan before as today. Those who object say that we will commit defamation but should not be punished. Slandering someone is a great sin in Islam. Media is respected but no one will be allowed to disrepute and slander anyone. They may criticize me as much as they want and I don’t care. This law is not only for me, but for everyone. If you want to make an allegation, then give proof of it. If there is no proof and the allegation is made with bad faith then they will have to account for making a false allegation.”
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif thanked all the scholars for supporting the defamation law. She said, “We pray that may Allah Almighty grant Pakistan security and stability. May Allah Almighty maintain peace and order during Muharram. Prayers were offered for peace, security and prosperity of country at the end of the meeting.
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Provincial Information Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari, Provincial Ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Ashiq Hussain, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, Bilal Akbar, Special Assistant Zeeshan Malik, Chief Secretary, IG Police, Members of Cabinet Committee Law and Order, scholars and other relevant officers attended the meeting.