Pak religious leaders say no terrorists in Punjab, blast Malik for framing madrassas

ISLAMABAD - Leading Pakistani religious scholars and leaders have criticised Interior Minister Rehman Malik for hinting towards a possible military operation in Punjab to dismantle the ever expanding terror network in the province.

Top Islamic leaders such as Tahafaz-i-Dini Madaris Committee patron Mufti Ataur Rehman, during a meeting in Bahawalpur, denounced Malik for pointing a finger towards madrassas for the recent surge in terror activities in the province.

While denying links between terror groups and any of the madrassas or mosques in the region, they said that south Punjab was being deliberately targeted by the federal government.

If Rehman Malik proves presence of any terrorist in any madressah or mosque, we would hand them to the government on our own, the leaders said.

They also accused Malik of disrupting peace in the region under pressure from the US and India and diverting the attention of people from issues like the price hike, The Dawn reports.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also criticised Malik for creating disharmony in the province.

“Malik is playing a dangerous game by taking dictation from his political head. His statement has come at a time when the nation is in dire need of unity against internal and external threats,” Shahbaz said.

It may be noted that Malik had said that extremist groups have penetrated their roots deeper into Punjab’s soil, and that they are planning some major attacks across the country.

“The Punjabi Taliban are a big threat to the country and they are preparing to launch a major attack,” Malik had said. (ANI)