Shariat to be made supreme law: Moin

Source: Dawn (Karachi) January 14, 2001

Bureau Report

ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: The government on Saturday agreed to set up ulema bodies from tehsil to national level to promote sectarian harmony and to amend the constitution to make Shariat country's supreme law.

The government's intention of setting up ulema boards as well as constituting similar high-level commissions at federal and provincial levels was made public by interior minister Moinuddin Haider while addressing an ulema Convention held here on Saturday.

The convention, presided over by the interior minister and attended by all the four provincial religious ministers, was participated by religious and religio-political parties belonging to all sects.

The minister announced that the federal and provincial commissions would monitor the implementation of measures to be adopted for checking sectarianism in the country.

Though the participants unanimously supported the government's decision, they strongly criticized it for planning to interfere in the affairs of "madaris" (religious institutions).

There were also some defiant voices challenging the government's ban on display of arms, while a few questioned the writ of the government which, according to them, did not exist at all.

The United States remained the favourite target of almost every speaker for its anti-Muslim policies and they vowed to fight unitedly against Washington.

While no religious group was ready to concede its involvement in sectarian killing, several pointed their fingers at intelligence agencies for sectarian or ethnic related mess.

Almost all major religio-political groups including Jamaat-i-Islami, different factions of JUI and JUP, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Tehrike Jafaria Pakistan (Mousavi group), Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, Pakistan Awami Tehrik etc were present in the convention. Tehrik Fiqh-i-Jaffaria (Naqvi) did not attend.

In his opening speech, the interior minister pledged to uphold rule of law and not to tolerate any act that would lead to creating hatred among different factions of the society.

Responding to a proposal presented by a participant, the minister promised that the government would also consider amending the constitution to include a provision that Quran and Sunnah would be the supreme law in Pakistan.

The minister said that sectarianism, if not curbed, might lead the country to anarchy. He told ulema that besides the Western nations, the Muslim countries were also protesting against Pakistan for imparting "terrorism" training in the country. "We will not allow anyone to besmear the country's name," he said.

He said government's views on Jehad were clear to everyone but this act of Islam should not be misinterpreted for wrong means.

The minister lamented that some of the religious groups were still not obeying the government's ban on display of arm. He specifically referred to a meeting of ulema organized by JUI (S), to support Taliban against UN sanctions, where arms were openly displayed. He, however, did not spell out what action the government was taking against those who displayed arms in the public at Akkora Khattak convention.

Religious affairs minister Mehmood Ahmed Ghazi reiterated government's resolve to implement riba free economy in the country and said much had been done in this direction, which include the strategy to tackle internal and external debts.

The minister disclosed that the government would soon set up an education commission, which in liaison with the University Grants Commission (UGC), would regulate the religious institutions and recognize them as universities.

Maulana Samiul Haq of the JUI (S) said that the purpose of Akkora Khattak convention was to convey to the US a strong message of Islamic groups that they would not bow down to its (US) dictates and were ready to take up arms against Washington.

"It was a message for the USA. We will not defend ourselves with sling-shots but fight back with arms," Samiul Haq said, adding: "We all are Osama bin Laden." He also threatened to march towards Islamabad if Islamic system was not enforced.

Munawar Hussain of Jamaat-i-Islami also criticized the government which, he insisted, did not exist at all. He said every work from education to jehad, was being done by private sector in the country while the government was only busy in promoting obscenity.

The JI secretary general laughed at minister's remarks that he would sack DIGs and IGs if they failed in enforcing law and wondered, "how many IGs and DIGs have you sacked so far?" The JI leader said the governments in Pakistan run ghost schools, extradite Aimal Kansis, increase burden of taxes on masses and violate law.

He asked the minister to review the role of intelligence agencies in Pakistan, which he accused, were behind sectarian disturbances.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor of JUI (F) said that there was no rule of law in the country and criticized the government for sending Nawaz Sharif abroad. He demanded of the enforcement of Shariat and believed that sectarianism would be curbed only if the government and its agencies were sincere to this effect.

Maulana Abdus Sattar Khan Niazi, ex-minister and leader of JUP of his own faction, demanded of the government to bring in the constitutional amendment for enforcement of Shariat.

Maulana Azam Tariq of Sipa-i-Sahaba Pakistan blamed the government for feeding sectarian hatred in the country by introducing two different syllabi of Islamiat for Shia and Sunni even much before the commencement of the SSP. He also criticized the government for allowing the minorities and the so-called human rights activists to hold demonstration against blasphemy law despite restrictions.