Chief Minister NWFP Akram Khan Durrani on Wednesday hosted a luncheon in honour of visiting Bangladeshi Ulema delegation led by Maulana Mufti Muhammad Waqas at Frontier House, Peshawar.
Opposition leader in National Assembly and central Amir JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman, senators, MNAs, senior provincial minister Siraj-ul-Haq, provincial ministers, Chief Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, IGP Refat Pasha and local JUI leaders were present on the occasion.
Expressing his views on the occasion, chief minister Akram Khan Durrani welcomed the distinguished guests and described their visit to Pakistan a good omen for the unity of Ummah.
He said the provincial government of MMA due to its pro-poor and welfare oriented polices was performing well as compared to other provincial governments and was gaining popularity in the country.
Senior Minister Siraj-ul-Haq in his address threw a detailed light over four-year performance of the provincial government. He specially mentioned launching of interest-free banking, free education and health facilities, establishment of Nizam-i-Salath, opportunities for women development, and restriction over obscenity, vulgarity and alcohol, elimination of grafting, monthly scholarship for 70 years old people, Rs1000 scholarship for jobless graduate students and other social and development activities.
Siraj-ul-Haq said that the MMA government had drastically changed the political culture of the province, saying the Ulema alongwith ministries also performing the role of prayer leaders as their religious obligation.
Advisor to Chief Minister Allama Ramazan Tauqir welcoming the Bangladeshi guests said that Ulema of all sects have now realised their responsibility and were playing active role for enforcement of Shariah in their respective countries. However, he stressed the need for having strong belief in faith for uniting ummah and making strong its position against its enemies.
Leader of Bangladeshi delegation Allama Mufti Muhammad Waqas thanked NWFP chief minister for showing great hospitality and expressed his views about growing popularity of religious groups in Bangladesh. MNA Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, Maulana Amanullah, Senator Gul Naseeb Khan and provincial minister Maulana Asmatullah also spoke on the occasion.