WHILE the murder of Mufti Ismail of Madressah Ahsanul Uloom should be condemned in strongest possible terms, furious reaction by seminary students defies logic. It would have been better had the seminary students demonstrated against the murder in a civilised way.

Regretfully, they chose to spread terror among the residents and commuters of the area by resorting to firing in the air and smashing the windscreens of private cars and setting them on fire.

As a result, many people who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time while commuting to their offices had to face the ordeal as well as financial loss and mental anguish.

It is regretful that it has become a trend that after targeted killing of any prominent personality the affected party comes on roads and takes the law in their hands by tormenting commuters and damaging public and private property. However, if the same attitude of disregard of public and private property is displayed by future clerics, nothing can be more depressing.

The seminary students ought to be the role model for the whole community, and they should be trained and educated in such a way that they could be a source of inspiration for the younger generation.

But due to the influence of ideology of violent religious extremism promoted by some misguided elements, the seminary students are keeping the public away from ulema.

The seminary students should have realised that the hapless people of Karachi are already harassed due to the ongoing spree of targeted killings and nothing could be far away from Islam if they are tormented without any fault and their property is damaged.

The office-bearers of Wafaqul Ulema-i-Madaris and other governing bodies of seminaries should analyse this sorry state of affairs and promote the message of brotherhood and tolerance among them.

A CITIZEN (Name withheld on request) Karachi