ISLAMABAD: The Sixth International Paigham-i-Islam Conference, held on Wednesday, awarded the titles of “Leader of Peace” and “Greatest Victorious General of the Century” to Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, in recognition of his role in promoting peace and strengthening stability across the Muslim Ummah.

The conference, organised by the International Tazeem-i-Haramain Sharifain Council and Pakistan Ulema Council, strongly condemned the attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.

The conference also expressed concern over the strikes targeting Arab countries, terming them detrimental to regional stability.

It called for national security, unity of the Muslim world, and enhanced interfaith harmony.

The conference was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, Palestinian ambassador Dr. Zuhair Mohammad Hamdallah Zaid, Grand Mufti of Palestine Sheikh Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, and Chief Justice of Palestine Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash, alongside senior Saudi and Palestinian representatives, religious scholars, and international delegates.

In addition to the CDF, prominent national and international figures were conferred global honours at the conference in recognition of their contributions to peace, stability and unity in the Muslim world.

PM Shehbaz was presented a shield of appreciation for his firm and unequivocal stance on key international issues, particularly Palestine.

Additionally, Prime Minister and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman — who has been named “Global Personality of 2025” — was honoured with a special award for contributions to defence cooperation with Pakistan, fostering unity in the Muslim world, and promoting peace at the regional and global levels.

The prime minister’s coordinator for the National Paigham-i-Aman Committee and chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, reaffirmed full support for the government, the armed forces, and national security institutions, acknowledging their efforts in safeguarding the country.

On behalf of the clerics, he congratulated the nation on recent achievements — particularly its triumphant victory in Marka-i-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the first anniversary of which is being celebrated across the nation and Pakistan’s diaspora abroad.

He emphasised the need for unity and cohesion within the Muslim Ummah, endorsing Pakistan’s stance on regional issues, including its position regarding Iran and relations with Arab and Islamic countries.

Highlighting defence cooperation, Ashrafi described the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia strategic partnership as a significant development for the Muslim world, noting that such collaboration could contribute to strengthening collective security among Islamic nations.

The conference also condemned the killing of a prominent religious scholar, Maulana Muhammad Idrees Tarangzai. It stated that acts of violence, extortion, and lawlessness have no connection with Islam or Shariah, and expressed solidarity with state institutions in maintaining law and order.

The conference also noted that efforts should be made to strengthen coordination among religious scholars across Pakistan and other Muslim countries.

It was announced that the Seventh International Paigham-i-Islam Conference will be held next year in March 2027, with invitations to be extended to global religious leaders, including the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the Grand Mufti of Palestine, the sheikh of Al-Azhar, and the Pope, in a bid to promote inter-sect and interfaith harmony.

It was also announced that similar conferences will be held under the aegis of the International Tazeem-i-Haramain Sharifain Council in different parts of the world.

The final session of the conference is scheduled to be held at Aiwan-i-Sadr under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari, after which the international delegates will begin departing for their respective countries.