Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Pervaiz Rashid made it crystal clear on floor of the Senate on Monday that he stands by whatever he said about religious seminaries in Pakistan. Replying to a point of order raised by Maulana Attaur Rehman, a hard-liner Islamist senator belonging to Jamiat Ulem-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), about his recent remarks in which he declared seminaries as 'hub of ignorance', he said there is no second opinion that Pakistan turned into a hotbed of militancy and terrorism due to some seminaries.
"I'm unable to offer my prayers in this land of Muslims without guns and security of armed men, while I don't need any gun if I'd to offer my prayers in India, a country where majority is of Hindus", he regretted. "I'm even comfortable if I'd to offer my prayers among Christians, Jews, or any other non-Muslims...so I stand by whatever I said about seminaries which have ruined our country and our worship places," he maintained.
The minister who seemed quite perturbed over fatwas or decrees issued by hard-liner Islamists, reiterated there are two kind of clerics - Ulama-e-Haq (the true ones) and Ulama-e-Soo (the evil ones). For evil ones or Ulema-e-Soo, Rashid continued he had nothing else to say but calling them evil because these are the people who misused the loudspeakers of the mosques for their own vested interests and turned our country into hell.
He recalled that if Mufti Mehmood, the father the Maulana Attaur Rehman had been alive, he would have certainly been there to protect him when clerics are busty in issuing fatwas or decrees against him, and have put his own as well as his daughters live in danger by igniting people.
"I'm a huge fan of Mufti Mehmood, the father of his holiness Maulana Attaur Rehman. I'm equally annoyed at (Attaur Rehman) because we are taking on the people who attacked people like Maulana Fazlur Rehman but despite that he is up in arms against me," he regretted. "I did use the words against Maulana Attaur Rehman rather it was meant for those who are not even happy with you Maulana Attaur Rehman sahib....this is the mindset who attacked Maulana Falur Rehman for the forth time," he reminded the JUI-F senator for siding with extremist elements, amid desk thumping by opposition MPs.
Rashid further sated that he did not only explain the role of religious seminaries but also criticised the overall syllabus being taught in the country, adding the educational institutions which we took in great esteem have stopped preaching brotherhood and harmony.
However, he said that he forgave those who have put his life as well as his family in danger, adding if this was his sin, he had no hesitation to say it all, as time has come to draw a line between the evils and true scholars. Professor Sajid Mir, another hard-liner senator who is also Ameer Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith, was stopped by chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani when he stood up to second the JUI-F senator for his remarks about religious seminaries.
But the information minister killed two birds with one stone in lambasting the clerics, saying both Maulana Atta and Professor Sajid never stepped into each other mosques - one belongs to Hanafi Islam while the other comes from Ahle Hadith - but they were forced to stand united against him. Pervez Rashid concluded by saying that it was the misuse of loudspeakers in mosques which created. Earlier speaking on a point of order, Maulana Attaur Rehamn fell short to declare Pervez Rashid as 'infidel' - sort of under pressure from the left wing politicians sitting in the house in majority who clapped thumping desks to appreciate the minister for bold stance - had to accept his fault.
He said that things would not have controversial if the minister had clarified that he meant people who have misused the name of religion for their own vested interest. About the observation of the minister that he meant people who attacked Maulana Fazal, he said: "We're also after those who attacked Maulana sahib, help us in tracking them down".
A resolution moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to lift the ban new/extension in industrial/commercial gas connections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on account of protection given under Article 158 of the constitution.
He also issued directives to report back to the house within three months including a recent report on Prime Minister Legal Reforms Committee which has been submitted to the premier to bring reforms in the judicial system of the country. Speaking on the motion belonging to different political parties both in opposition and treasury severely criticised the current judicial system in the country. They said that people have become so fed up that now they prefer the jirga outdated system as it provides speedy justice without charging hefty fees unlike the lawyers.
Referring to now defunct alternate dispute resolution committee (ADRC) of the federal board of revenue (FBR), Senator Noman Wazir of PTI said that it was such a successful body, through which some 86 cases were resolved in KP, which were also accepted by the board.
Senator Pervez Rashid, the federal law and justice minister said that a number of steps have been taken by the government to streamline the judiciary, which include increasing the salaries of judges besides filling the vacant posts in the judiciary to lessen the burden on judges. He said that there are clear directives that a case related to family law should be disposed of in six months. The minister said that Cost of Litigation Bill, Bill has also been drafted which will be presented in the house after approval from the cabinet. The house was adjourned till Tuesday at 11am.