22 killed in suicide attack on tribal council meeting in Pakistan

The death toll in Adezai suicide attack mounted to 22 while over 40 others were injured, some of them severely.

The suicide attacker blew himself up at a Jirga meeting which was in progress in Adezai area of Orakzai Agency on Friday.

The purpose of the meeting was to form a tribal Lashkar for ensuring a clampdown on terrorist activities.

The injured are being rushed to nearby hospital.

As many as 500 people from Ali Zai tribe were present at the Jirga.

According to witnesses, difficulty was being faced earlier in shifting of the wounded to medical facilities due to the ensuing firing in the area.

Emergency was declared at hospitals in Kohat and Hangu after the explosion.

Religious scholars belonging to all schools of thought on Thursday passionately appealed to the members of the Parliament that military operations in the tribal areas and Swat should be stopped forthwith and criminals, anti-state elements and foreign agents should be caught with the cooperation of local religious scholars and patriotic elders of respective areas and made example by being punished publicly.

In an appeal, the religious scholars said they considered it their religious duty to help the Parliament in taking concrete decisions to steer the country out of the prevalent crises. They said that if looked at attentively, the people in the troubled regions are divided in different sections. They said that a big majority of people are peaceful and patriotic citizens. If any government flouts the religious obligations, ridicules the Islamic values or tries to impose foreign rulers or foreign ideology, they remain peaceful but extremely hate such government because such acts are intolerable for them. They said the same section of the society is bearing the brunt of the ongoing military operations.

They said that there are a large number of young people in this section of the society who are angry with the government because of the Jamia Hafsa operation, martyrdom of innocent people as well as un-Islamic and flawed Afghan policy of the government and are overwhelmed by the vindictive sentiments. They said such young people have picked up arms on seeing bodies of their near and dear ones or because of their sincerity with religion despite being prohibited by the religious scholars, who have already declared the suicide bombings illegitimate. They said such people are satiating their vengeful sentiments by shedding blood of others.

The religious scholars pointed out that when there are chaos, bombardment and infighting in an area, with the purpose of accomplishing their nefarious designs, the criminals join hands with foreign elements, national forces or disgruntled youth, who have been compelled by the situation to pick up arms. They said such criminals also have a major role in the prevailing lawlessness.

They also pointed out that the US forces, along with the allied Nato troops and Indian agencies, have been trying to conquer Afghanistan but now their own commanders and diplomats have, through statements, admitted the failure of their military pursuits. As a last resort to avoid an imminent defeat or turn into a respectable retreat, the occupation forces in Afghanistan have infiltrated their agents in the tribal areas of Pakistan with arms and different currencies. They said there are authentic reports that when some foreign agents were caught or their bodies were found, they were found uncircumcised, which proved that they were non-Muslim. They said such American and Indian agents are fighting Pakistani forces in the tribal areas in the guise of Taliban and carrying out bombings in various Pakistani cities to malign the real Taliban.

The religious scholars said that innocent Muslims are falling prey to the operations by Pakistani forces as well as attacks by drones being operated over tribal areas by the foreign troops. They said the foreign agents and criminals remain safe because of their influence, conspiracies and foreign backing and Muslims are facing the brunt.

In view of this situation, the religious scholars said, the legitimate demands of the patriotic and peaceful countrymen should be met in such a way that they are satisfied about the seriousness of the government in delivering justice and establishing peace. They demanded that all the anti-Islam policies and steps in the country must immediately be done away with. They stressed that appeasement of foreign powers should be stopped and support of the countrymen should be won by meeting all their legitimate demands to the possible extent.

The religious scholars stressed that the foreign policy should be changed and deceptive and shameful understanding with the US in its “war on terror” should be done away with at the earliest, which is in fact must for the national solidarity and security. They said that judiciary should be restored and made independent because establishment of peace without speedy justice and independent judiciary is impossible.

They said that the rampant corruption, extravagant lifestyle, vulgarity and obscenity are other factors that are contributing to the growing price-hike and economic crisis.

Those who signed the appeal included: Maulana Muhammad Sarfaraz Khan Safdar (Shaikhul Hadith, Jamia Nusratul Aloom, Gujranwala), Maulana Salimullah Khan (Mohtamim, Jamia Farooqia, Shah Faisal Colony, Karachi), Dr Abdur Razzaq Sikandar (Mohtamim, Jamiatul Aloom Islamia, Allama Banori Town, Karachi), Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani, (President, Jamia Darul Aloom, Karachi), Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Vice President, Jamia Darul Aloom, Karachi), Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman (President, Tanzeemul Madaris Ahle Sunnat Pakistan, and Mohtamim, Darul Aloom Naeemia), Maulana Naeemur Rehman (Nazim-e-Ala, Wafaqul Madaris Al-Salfia Pakistan), Maulana Abdul Malik (President, Rabita-tul-Madaris Islamia Pakistan), Syed Hafiz Riaz Hussain Najafi (President, Wafaqul Madaris Shia Pakistan), Maulana Qazi Niaz Hussain Naqvi (Vice President, Wafaqul Madaris Shia Pakistan), Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah (Raees, Darul Aloom Muhammadia Ghausia, Bhera Sharif), Maulana Abdul Rehman Salfi (Ameer, Jamaat-e-Ghurba Ahle Hadith Pakistan), Maulana Hafiz Muhammad Salfi (Mudeer, Jamia Sitaria Islamia), Maulana Mahmood Ahmed Hassan (Shaikhul Hadith, Jamia Sitaria Islamia), Maulana Muhammad Ans Madani (Wakeel, Jamia Sitaria Islamia), Mufti Muhammad Idrees Salfi (Raees, Darul Ufta, Jamaat-e-Ghurba Ahle Hadith Pakistan), Maulana Ubaidullah (Mohtamim, Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore), Maulana Abdur Rehman Ashrafi (Naib Mohtamim, Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore), Qari Hanif Jallundhri (Mohtamim, Jamia Khairul Madaris, Multan), Maulana Anwarul Haq (Naib Mohtamim, Darul Aloom Haqqani, Akora Khattak), Maulana Mahmood Ashraf (Jamia Darul Aloom, Karachi), Mufti Abdul Rauf (Jamia Darul Aloom, Karachi), Syed Abdul Qaddus Tirmizi (Mohtamim, Jamia Haqqani, Sahiwal, Sargodha), Mufti Muhammad (Raees, Darul Ufta-wal-Irshad, Karachi), Mufti Azizur Rehman (Jamia Darul Aloom, Karachi), Maulana Fazal Rahim (Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore), Maulana Zahid Al-Rashdi (Jamia Nusratul Aloom, Gujranwala), Maulana Fidaur Rehman Darkhwasti (Ameer, Pakistan Shariat Council), Maulana Abdul Ghaffar (Acting Khateeb, Lal Masjid, Islamabad), Qari Arshad Ubaid (Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore), Maulana Akram Kashmiri (Jamia Ashrafia, Lahore), Maulana Muhammad Siddiq (Jamia Khairul Madaris, Multan), Mufti Abdullah (Jamia Khairul Madaris, Multan), Mufti Muhammad Tayyab (Jamia Imdadia Islamia, Faisalabad), Mufti Muhammad Zahid (Jamia Imdadia Islamia, Faisalabad) and Maulana Muhammad Yousaf (Madrissa Arbia, Gulshan Bilal, Karachi).