A top Islamic leader and cleric of Pakistan Maulana Samiul Haq has rejected militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP’s) contention that voting is “un-Islamic” and asserted that voting isn’t just a democratic duty but a religious obligation as well.
Islamabad, May 1/Nationalturk – Amid continuous terrorist attacks on candidates and political workers in Pakistan ahead of May 11 general elections, a top Islamic leader, politician and cleric Maulana Samiul Haq has rejected militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP’s) contention that voting is “un-Islamic” and asserted that voting isn’t just a democratic duty but a religious obligation as well.
“Voting is an important Islamic Shariah. Refusing to cast votes is equivalent to concealing evidence and Islam calls upon giving evidence. Islam deems all those who conceal evidence to be guilty,” Pakistan’s newspaper Express Tribune quoted Maulana Samiul Haq, the head of Darul Uloom Haqqania as saying.
Citing verses from the Holy Quran and Shariah law to support his view, he urged clerics of the country to use their Friday sermons to encourage people to participate in the May 11 elections.
Maulana Samiul Haq, who is said to be teacher of many Afghan and Pakistan Taliban militants, said asking people to boycott elections was an ‘unwise approach’ that the banned terrorist outfits (TTP) were using.
Earlier, On March 18, TTP spokesperson had declared elections part of an “un-Islamic democratic system which only serves the interests of infidels and enemies of Islam,” and warned voters to stay away from political rallies held by the parties.
TTP has carried out more than two dozen pre-election attacks on political parties and workers in Pakistan, killing 46 people and wounding over 200 people since April 21.
‘Fate of country can only be changed through votes’
Samiul-Haq said fate of the country could be changed through votes. “The voting could keep the corrupt, criminals, robbers and American agents from the assemblies”.
He said by asking people not to cast votes, they (TTP) will leave the field open for bad people to enter the parliament. “The vote should not be cast on the basis of money, community, ethnicity, family and tribe but as an asset to be given to pious people”.
He also endorsed a recently issued religious fatwa (edict) by the Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Allama Tahir Ashrafi, which described casting of vote as a religious obligation under Islamic injunctions.
“The decree was the summary of several issued edicts by different school of thoughts,” added Haq.
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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