LAHORE, Oct 3: Some 150 clerics of the Sunni Ittehad Council on Thursday appealed to the Taliban to surrender and adopt the way leading to peace and prosperity in the country.

In a gathering held here under the aegis of Jamia Naeemia Association and presided over by association chief Raghib Naeemi, the clerics urged the Taliban to stop assassinating innocent people as their act was defaming the religion of Islam as well as causing a damage to the country massively.

“The Taliban must know that they are killing innocent human beings. They must surrender before the Almighty Allah and pray for their forgiveness,” a joint statement of the clerics sent by the

SIC media cell says.

The statement said the killing of innocent people in markets, funerals, mosques, churches, schools and shrines was not at all Jihad according to the teachings of Islam.

It said to promote inter-religion and faith harmony, there was a dire need to act on “don’t leave your sect and don’t touch the others’ sect”.

The statement offered the Taliban to sit with country’s top clerics and discuss Jihad.