Scholars flay Jamia Hafsa, Lal Masjid administration

Prominent religious scholars, including Maulana Ehteramul Haq Thanwi, Maulana Idrees Haqqani and Saima Asma, disapproving the attitude of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid Administration on Monday stressed amicable and peaceful solution of the situation.
Speaking in a PTV programme, Maulana Ehteramul Haq Thanwi said the attitude of Madaris students and their instructors was regrettable. He said: "Pakistan is an Islamic state and if there are some immoral practices in the society, it is the responsibility of the government to take account of them."
"The individuals or groups have no moral, legal or religious support to take law into their own hand and behave like a state within a state. Internally as well as externally, the approach is harmful for the country," he said.
There were various schools of thoughts in the country and no group could enforce his ideology on the other through force, he said, adding that some people wanted to make the entire nation hostage by organising street shows.
He advised clerics of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa to approach like-minded members of Parliament to play their role for the establishment of Shariah rule in the society rather than taking direct action. He appreciated government's policy of tolerance and restraint, which it had been displaying over the past few weeks.
Maulana Idrees Haqqani was of the opinion that validity of the demands not withstanding the method, which the administration of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid had adopted, was inappropriate. Even the President of the Wafaq-e-Madaris had disapproved their attitude, he added. He advocated negotiated settlement of the situation at the earliest, urging the students and their instructors to quit attitude of clash and violence in national interest.
Saima Asma said that majority of the people particularly the women wanted to live in line with the religious and traditional values and their desire be respected. She advocated for a negotiated and peaceful settlement of the issue at the earliest, and said that taking law into hand and setting up a state within state by any individual or group was not an appreciable act.