LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen Committee, Punjab, on Thursday. During the meeting, the Ittehad’s proposals for peace in Muharram were put forth. It was attended by scholars of all schools of thought, eminent mashaikhs, academics and religious personalities.
The chief minister said the need for the active role of Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen Committee has never been greater than it was today. “Today’s situation is a cause of great concern for me as chief minister.” She said it was her father Nawaz Sharif who constituted the Ittehad Bain Ul Muslimeen Committee.
She said the meeting should be held once every three months instead of annually. “It is my foremost duty to enforce the law and dispense justice. In Sahiwal, a child was raped in a seminary. When the police took action on it, fatwas were issued against me on social media. When the crime is proven, we must catch the culprit and bring him to justice. If we do not put this into practice, we will fail to present the bright face of our religion to the people.
She said it was the responsibility of all of us to support the truth. “The incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran are increasing day by day. It is heartbreaking to hear of such gruesome incidents. I want all of us to sit together to prevent such incidents and see the reason behind the increase in such incidents. Obeying the commandments of religion is part of my training. But come what may, we must not take the law into our own hands and issue fatwas.”
The chief minister said, “I have to do justice. No Muslim, Hindu, or Christian can escape punishment after conviction. But the growing tendency of lynching people or setting them on fire on mere hearsay without evidence and certainty must be discouraged. Furthermore, law must take its due course and individual people cannot be allowed to take law into their hands. By discussing these issues, we can move towards decision-making.”
The chief minister said more than 50,000 social media accounts and pages have been blocked by the Punjab government. Today, a man is issuing fatwas on social media about girls’ schools. The religious feelings linked with Muharram are shared by all of us and not limited to a particular sect alone. “I issued clear orders to all the officers of police to visit scholars and address their problems. The security and safety of Majalis are the responsibility of the Punjab government.”
Maryam said, “I have issued orders to install sabeels on all the routes of Muharram procession. The Punjab government will also facilitate the distribution of food and Niaz on the procession route. A central control room will be set up in all districts, which will be monitored by me.” She reiterated no tolerance for riotous speeches by loudspeakers.
Maryam also visited Gujranwala and laid the foundation stone for four mega projects for Rs18 billion. The Punjab chief minister also inaugurated Wahndu Interchange and Sialkot-Lahore Motorway and also laid the foundation stone of the Gujranwala-Alipur to Qadirabad Road and the construction and rehabilitation of Chanda Qila to Aziz Cross Chowk.
The 14-kilometre-long Alipur-Qadirabad Road will cost Rs1 billion, and a flyover will also be constructed at Chanda Qilla. CM was told that about 40,000 saplings have been planted in the Wahndo Forest Station, and water pumps have been installed at 10 locations for irrigation.
Chairing a police meeting, she said all the RPOs, DPOs or SHOs were appointed purely on merit, not at the request of any assembly member. The chief minister stressed the importance of appointing competent officers as SHOs to maintain police reputation. “MPAs are my powerhouse but they have been annoyed for the sake of merit,” she said.
She also introduced Key Performance Indicators to evaluate police performance, including public complaints, FIRs, indictments, and innovative initiatives. She directed senior officers to monitor SHOs closely and encourage police to engage with Shia scholars and public during Muharram.
She called for increased patrolling to ensure public security and assign reputable officers to inter-provincial check-posts.
She announced that Safe City cameras would be implemented in 18 cities by December, enhancing crime tracking and response. She also emphasized the importance of addressing weak FIRs and ensuring strong legal action against criminals.