Govt finalises Muharram security plan, vows crackdown on sectarian incitement

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on Tuesday chaired a special meeting of the Paigham-i-Aman Committee to review security arrangements for Muharram and discuss measures to promote religious harmony and curb sectarian incitement.

The meeting focused on ensuring peaceful observance of Muharram and strengthening inter-sect unity across the country. Participants deliberated on steps to promote religious tolerance and prevent the spread of hate speech and sectarian narratives.

The committee decided that strict action would be taken against individuals using social media platforms to spread incitement, sectarianism and hatred during the holy month.

Addressing the meeting, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said maintaining close and continuous engagement with religious scholars remained a key priority of the Interior Ministry.

He announced that the Paigham-i-Pakistan Committee would be activated and strengthened at the district level to enhance efforts aimed at promoting peace, national unity and countering extremist narratives.

Naqvi stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns based on the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah to combat terrorism and extremism.

“There is no room in Islam for rebellion against the state and spreading chaos,” he said, urging religious scholars to guide the public and help strengthen social cohesion.

The minister also announced the appointment of a coordinator for the peace committee and described the maintenance of law and order during Muharram as a collective national responsibility.

Referring to recent diplomatic developments, Naqvi credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for leading Pakistan’s role in facilitating dialogue between the United States and Iran, which culminated in the announcement of a peace agreement.

He also praised Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his role in the process, saying all stakeholders had worked together as a unified team.

“A historic agreement between the two countries was reached as a result of teamwork and sincere efforts,” Naqvi said.

The interior minister stated that the field marshal enjoyed the confidence of all parties involved in the negotiations and played an important role in advancing the dialogue process.

According to Naqvi, a critical intervention by the military leadership at a crucial stage of negotiations helped prevent the collapse of ceasefire discussions and contributed to moving the peace process forward.

The meeting was attended by prominent religious scholars and representatives from various schools of thought, including Allama Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, Senator Hafiz Abdul Karim, Mufti Abdul Raheem, Allama Arif Hussain Wahidi, Pir Naqeeb ur Rehman, Allama Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Allama Ziaullah Shah Bukhari, Bishop Azad Marshall, Rajesh Kumar Hirdasani and Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora.

Coordinators of provincial and regional peace committees, representatives of registered madrassa boards, senior officials from the ministries of interior, religious affairs and information, as well as Islamabad’s chief commissioner and inspector general of police, also attended the meeting.

Participants paid tribute to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Interior Ministry for their efforts in supporting regional peace initiatives.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry praised the role of the Paigham-i-Aman Committee in fostering national harmony and maintaining peace.

The meeting concluded with special prayers for the country's security, stability, unity and the peaceful observance of Muharram across Pakistan.