ISLAMABAD – Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, the former member of the ShariatAppellate Bench of the Supreme Court, issued a religious decree rejectingthe extremist approach of the terror group, calling them ‘rebels’.
Addressing the Paigham-e-Pakistan National Conference, the noted scholarsaid those fighting against the Pakistan Army and involved in anti-stateactivities are rebels.
Taqi, who was named among the top 500 influential Muslims, called hostileactivities against Pakistan ‘haram’ and thus illegitimate and undesirablerevolt.
He said attacking security agencies and carrying out terror attacks oncitizens has nothing to do with Jihad. His decree was also adopted byscholars from other sects at the conference.
TTP ‘opens to guidance’ from scholars
The chief of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) earlierjustified the ‘holy war’ against Pakistan and said his group was open toguidance from religious scholars.
Read Top Stories
As the country’s north and southwestern regions bordering Afghanistan arecaught in a wave of deadly attacks, the group behind the fierce attacksstarted justifying the attacks. Lately, the group chief Noor Wali Mehsudurged scholars to guide them as he expressed willingness to listen to allarguments happily. “If you think, we are doing wrong, please guide us andif you agree with our strategy, then I request you not to call usmisguided, saying the names were given to them by the enemy,” he said.
Noor Wali alleged that Pakistani forces attacked them despite the ceasefireagreement. Earlier this week, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan threatenedPakistan with attacks on key leaders of the country, accusing them ofappeasing the West, especially the United States.
Almost a month after calling off the ceasefire, the terror group threatenedto attack top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) andPakistan People’s Party (PPP) who discussed action against the TTP at arecent meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC).
The terror group was involved in a number of deadly attacks including the2009 attack other than the 2014 Peshawar school massacre that killed 150people mostly minors. Pakistan in recent months has been particularlyconcerned at the strengthening of the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan in warraged Afghanistan as a result of external financial and material support.