ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: Some Ulema belonging to Barelvi school of thought and those from Shia sect criticised on Thursday Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and demanded of the Punjab government to remove him from the cabinet.

“Someone who has been a violator of law and has had a tainted background has been made the law minister of Punjab,” said Mufti Ali Akbar Naeemi of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani group) at a press conference with Shia Ulema. Other Barelvi Ulema were also present on the occasion.

For the first time since the Rawalpindi incident, Barelvi Ulema announced plans to dissociate themselves from Friday’s protests.

Mufti Naeemi said that Friday would not be a day of arson and protests, but a day of peace to highlight harmony among all people of the country, including non-Muslims.

He said that making the entire country hostage through protests at this critical time was not a right thing to do and demanded of the Ulema of all schools of thought to show restraint.

“All Ulema should dissociate themselves from terrorists and proscribed organisations,” Mufti Naeemi said.

Meanwhile, Maulana Haider Alvi of the Sunni Tehreek said there was a need to understand that some people were using the name of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat to create differences among various sects.

“We are Ahle Sunnat and I say that there is no difference between Sunni and Shia,” Maulana Alvi said, adding that respective governments in Pakistan had done nothing to check sectarianism.

The representative of Sunni Ittehad Council in Rawalpindi, Pirzada Riazuddin, deplored the Rawalpindi incident and said that it was time for the government to eradicate the root causes of sectarianism.

“The main culprits are people like Rana Sanaullah who always backed terrorist groups. Those fanning hatred are not being questioned about 62 people killed in Karachi’s Nishtar Park at the end of Eid Miladun Nabi procession,” Pirzada Riazuddin said. The Deputy Secretary General of Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen, Allama Amin Shaheedi, representing different Shia groups, said the Punjab government should arrest and persecute perpetrators of attack on Madressah Taleemul Quran, but at the same time those responsible for burning several Imambargahs in Rawalpindi and instigating people though their hate speeches should also be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, the Shia Ulema Council has postponed all the rallies it planned for Friday.