Ulema want rapists punished publicly

Published August 23, 2021
Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. — File photo
Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: Religious scholars belonging to various schools of thought have condemned the rape of a girl in a seminary in Rawalpindi and demanded that perpetrators of such heinous crimes should be given punishment in public through speedy trial.

In a joint declaration issued after attending a consultative meeting held under the aegis of the Pakistan Ulema Council on Sunday, they lamented rising incidents of child abuse and women harassment in Pakistan and said the prime minister and chief justice of Pakistan should take immediate action against the culprits and order their speedy trials.

They urged the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Ministry of Information to block porn websites and pornographic and nude content and advertisements on social media.

Special Representative to the PM on Interfaith Harmony Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi presided over the meeting.

Call for blocking of porn websites

The joint declaration said that all sections of society must play their role to save the morality of Pakistani society. The rules of Sharia are clear for both men and women. It is obligatory on both men and women to cover themselves properly and avoid obscenity and nudity. Sharia does not allow a man to touch or harass a woman, the declaration said.

The joint declaration said that the rising incidents of abuse and harassment of boys and girls and the state of fear and intimidation prevailing among women demand from all sections of the society, especially the government and judiciary, to ban and close all such sources responsible for spreading obscenity and nudity in the society.

Maulana Asad Zakaria Qasmi, Syed Ziaullah Shah Bukhari, Maulana Mufti Mohammad Zia Madani, Allama Arif Wahidi, Allama Abdul Haq Mujahid, Maulana Mohammad Khan Leghari, Maulana Mufti Mohammad Ali Naqshbandi, Maulana Mufti Abdul Sattar, Maulana Abdul Wahab Rupari, Maulana Pir Asadullah Farooq, Maulana Pir Asad Habib Shah Jamali, Maulana Mohammad Shafi Qasmi, Maulana Anwar-ul-Haq Mujahid, Mufti Hafeez-ur-Rehman, Maulana Hussain Ahmad, Maulana Qasim Qasmi and others religious scholars attended the meeting.

They urged the government, the judiciary and all sections of society to play an immediate role at their respective levels for the restoration of social and moral values.

They called for strict action on the instances of Minar-i-Pakistan, the Noor Mukadam case, harassment of women in a rickshaw in Lahore, madressahs and schools or colleges and punishment for the culprits.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...