Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has vowed to defend the religious institutions which are being made a soft target and warned of an open war if anyone tried to impose foreign ideology in the name of sympathy with Malala Yousufzai.
Addressing a big public meeting held in the memory of prominent religious and spiritual leader Maulana Mohammad Ahmad at Shergarh on Sunday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said they condemn attack on Malala but attacks on seminary students must also be condemned. He said through drone attacks innocent young children who are acquiring religious education are being killed. He was of the view that it was not the issue of a girl fighting for education but in its garb, western culture is being pushed into the country which his party would not allow.
The JUI-F chief said carrying of arms is the identity of Pakhtoons but today those carrying arms are being labelled as terrorists. He said Islam did not spread with the power of the sword and his party was opposed to those who want to enforce Islam through the use of bullets.
He said today's big gathering of people was a testimony that the followers of Islam were prepared to lay down their lives for their religion.