The Tazeem-e-Haramain Sharifain Conference, jointly organised by the Pakistan Ulema Council and the International Tazeem-e-Haramain Sharifain Council, has unanimously reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the sanctity of Makkah al Mukarramah, Madinah al Munawwarah and the two holy mosques, while expressing full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its security, sovereignty and stability.
The conference, held under the dynamic leadership of the Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Secretary-General of the International Tazeem-e-Haramain Sharifain Council and Coordinator of the National Paigham-e-Aman Committee, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi at a local hotel in Islamabad, brought together religious scholars and spiritual leaders from different schools of thought, leaders of political and religious parties, and representatives from various walks of life including the diplomatic core.
Among the prominent personalities including Pakistan Peoples Party’s leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, Shamsher Khan Mazari, Maulana Muhammad Amal Ludhianvi, Syed Ziaullah Shah Bukhari, Mufti Abu Muhammad, Maulana Nauman Hashir, Maulana Iqbal Qadri, Maulana Asif Munir, Mufti Abdul Karim, Maulana Tahir Aqeel, Maulana Zulfiqar Ahmed, Mufti Abdul Rehman Madani, Maulana Aslam Siddiqui, Maulana Zahid Qasmi, Maulana Sultan Mahmood Zia, Maulana Aftab Nazir, Maulana Qari Abdul Hakeem Attar, Mufti Umar Farooq, Maulana Abdul Hadi, and Maulana Naib Khan graced the event with their presence and spoke on the occasion.
The joint declaration stated that the protection of Haramain Sharifain, the security of Saudi Arabia, unity within the Muslim Ummah and the protection of oppressed people were shared religious, national and humanitarian responsibilities.
They also paid tribute to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his efforts to promote peace, unity and solidarity within the Muslim Ummah, and to advance international peace. They appreciated his role in supporting initiatives for strengthening unity among Muslim countries and promoting peace and stability at the regional and global levels.
They expressed strong support for the Government of Pakistan’s efforts to safeguard Saudi Arabia’s security and sovereignty, protect Haramain Sharifain and strengthen regional peace. They emphasised the importance of Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement, defence cooperation and constructive role in promoting stability and unity across the Muslim world.
The religious scholars and leaders described the sanctity of Makkah al-Mukarramah, Madinah al-Munawwarah, the Holy Kaaba and Masjid-e-Nabawi (Peace Be Upon Him) as an integral part of every Muslim’s faith and belief.
They stated that the security and protection of the two holy mosques were not the responsibility of any single country or nation but a collective religious duty of the entire Muslim Ummah.
The leaders emphasised that the Houthi armed group must not be equated with the people of Yemen, describing the Yemeni people as brothers and sisters in both religious and humanitarian terms.
They clarified that the conflict in Yemen must be understood as a conflict involving the internationally recognised Yemeni government and the Houthi armed group, and must not be portrayed as a Shia-Sunni or sectarian conflict. They stressed that the crisis had no justification for being framed in sectarian terms and that the Muslim Ummah did not regard it as a dispute between religious schools of thought.
The Ulema and Mashaikh supported the diplomatic and defence cooperation undertaken by the Government of Pakistan to safeguard Saudi Arabia’s security and sovereignty and protect Haramain Sharifain.
They described the historic, religious, fraternal and defence ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as being of special importance to the people of both countries.
They also appreciated the efforts of Pakistan’s armed forces and national security institutions in defending the country, promoting regional peace and fulfilling international responsibilities.
They also addressed the question of negotiations with armed groups accused of killing innocent people and carrying out attacks against civilians. It stressed that dialogue and political solutions must lead to genuine and sustainable peace and must not become a means of legitimising violence or allowing armed groups to continue their activities without accountability.
The leaders questioned how meaningful negotiations could take place with groups that had killed innocent people without a clear commitment to ending violence, accepting responsibility for their actions and demonstrating remorse for past conduct.
They maintained that no armed group should be allowed to endanger innocent people, civilian populations or sacred places while using negotiations to prolong attacks or facilitate further armed operations.
In this context, they opposed any approach that would allow groups such as the Houthis, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Fitna al-Khawarij, Fitna al-Hindustan or other armed groups operating in Muslim countries to use negotiations as a cover for continued violence against innocent people.
They urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Muslim World League and other relevant international institutions to take practical measures to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance and reduce regional tensions.