Joint fatwa: KP clerics denounce terror

PESHAWAR: Clerics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Monday issued a fatwa against terrorists and terror activities, deeming the taking up of arms against the state’s police and military ‘haraam’ (forbidden) in the Shariat (Islamic law), Geo News reported.

As terrorism rears its ugly head once more in the country following the end of the ceasefire with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2022, scholars of various schools of thought from KP have made a clear declaration against terrorism.

These clerics -- belonging to a number of different seminaries, including Darul Uloom Peshawar, Jamia Darul Uloom Haqqania and the Organisation of Al Madaris -- issued fatwas. Furthermore, the Association of Al-Madaris Al-Arabiya, Rabat Al-Madaris, Association of Al-Madaris Al Alafiya, Al-Madaris Al-Shia Association, Jamia Al-Quran Education, and Ulama Council of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also condemned terrorism.

The fatwa issued by the clerics from the province, where most of the recent terrorist attacks were carried out in the preceding year, declares that only the head of the Islamic state has the prerogative to declare jihad (holy war).

“Not everyone has the right to declare jihad,” the fatwa noted and add that avoiding the observance of the law is against the Shariah. It is further stated in the fatwa that taking up arms against the police and military personnel is against both the Shariah and the state, and anyone who rebels against the constitution and laws of Pakistan will be punishable by law. The TTP ended its ceasefire -- signed in June 2022 -- with the government in November.