ISLAMABAD: An influential group of Pakistani scholars and religious leaders on Sunday declared suicide attacks and beheadings as un-Islamic and called on people to unite for a struggle against the militancy plaguing the country.
'Ulema' (clerics) and 'mushaikh' (spiritual leaders) of the Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnah, who gathered here for a convention, declared suicide attacks and beheadings as un-Islamic in a unanimous resolution.
They backed the military operation being conducted in Swat and Malakand to flush out the Taliban and restore peace. They described the operation as important, saying it was a war for Pakistan's integrity and sovereignty.
The religious leaders said the designs of elements engaged in creating a state within a state should be frustrated.
In his address, Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunnah president Sahibzada Fazal Karim said those trying to harm the integrity of Pakistan should be dealt with with an iron hand. Karim and other clerics stressed the need to forge unity for the struggle against militancy.
"We played our role during the independence movement. We are Pakistani nationals and we will protect the country and foil every effort of the enemy," Karim said.
