Disrespect of Martyrs Is Unacceptable, I Apologize to Soldiers and Their Families, Says Tahir Ashrafi

Karachi: Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council and Coordinator of the National Paigham-e-Pakistan Peace Committee, Allama Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, has said that any disrespect towards the country’s martyrs is intolerable and offered an apology to military personnel and the families of fallen soldiers.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Karachi alongside Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Ashrafi said that terrorists are enemies of peace and that members of Pakistan’s security forces continue to make immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.

He emphasized that soldiers of the Pakistan Armed Forces do not serve merely for their salaries but stand guard at the country’s borders with a spirit of patriotism and a willingness to sacrifice their lives for the nation.

“No amount of money can compensate for the sacrifice of our martyrs. Martyrdom is a position of great honor and pride for a believer, and those who defend the Islamic state’s borders deserve the utmost respect,” Ashrafi stated. “Anyone who sacrifices his life for our protection must never be subjected to disrespect.”

He reaffirmed his support for the armed forces and said that no one would be allowed to insult the country’s martyrs. He urged politicians to refrain from using national institutions and security forces as targets of political criticism and instead contribute to strengthening national unity.

Ashrafi further said that Pakistan is emerging as a global advocate of peace and that national cohesion and harmony are essential in the current circumstances. He stressed that political differences should remain within the political sphere and that state institutions must not be dragged into political disputes.

Expressing solidarity with the families of martyrs, he said that the entire nation shares their grief and that standing with the state and national institutions in the fight against terrorism is the responsibility of every Pakistani. He also urged the public not to become facilitators—knowingly or unknowingly—of terrorist or anti-state elements.

Earlier, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah met a delegation of the National Paigham-e-Pakistan Peace Committee led by Tahir Ashrafi. The meeting was attended by senior provincial ministers, government officials, police leadership, and representatives of various religious communities.

The Chief Minister praised the committee’s efforts in promoting peace, religious harmony, tolerance, and national unity. He said that Sindh has long been a land of Sufi traditions, coexistence, and interfaith harmony, where citizens of all faiths freely practice their religious beliefs and celebrate their festivals.

Murad Ali Shah reiterated the Sindh government’s commitment to protecting the lives, property, dignity, religious freedom, and equal rights of all citizens in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan and pledged continued cooperation with both the national and provincial peace committees.