LAHORE: Chair Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has said that political and religious leadership must accept the liability for playing significant role to forge unity among the nation.

While addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club on Sunday, he stressed the need for combined efforts from all stakeholders to bring peace, stability and development in the country.

Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said that today the PUC was issuing a joint code of conduct comprising 12 points to maintain peace during Muharram-ul-Haram. It was consulting with all other stakeholders, he said and urged religious leaders to extend their full support to the government authorities and follow the guidelines of code of conduct.

The code of conduct aimed to promote harmony between all schools of thoughts during Muharram-ul-Haram and to annihilate the menace of extremism, terrorism and intolerance.

The PUC chairman expressed that all political and religious parties should adopt joint agreed upon policy to restore peace and stability in Pakistan, which would also help full to bring foreign investment in Pakistan.

Ashrafi said the unsolicited interference from the US House was neither welcome nor acceptable. It is also an unsolicited interference in Pakistan’s domestic affairs. “We believe that bilateral relations between countries should be based on mutual respect and sovereign equality,” he said.

In a passionate call for unity and mutual cooperation, he urged local religious and political leaders and authorities to have an effective collaboration and liaison to usher in positive changes in society. He underlined the principles of Islam that laid full emphasis on social peace, cohesion and security.