ISLAMABAD: An imam of Makkah’s Grand Mosque Dr. Sheikh Abdullah Awad Al Juhany said on Friday that young Muslims were capable of transforming societies and warned them against being exploited in the name of religion.
Juhany arrived in Pakistan on Thursday and will address the Fourth International Message of Islam Conference, scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Sunday.
On Friday, he addressed a seminar entitled “Youth and Contemporary Challenges” at the International Islamic University’s Faisal Mosque campus after Friday prayers, which he will lead.
“You should not fall into the trap of the people who try to deceive you in the name of religion,” the imam said, adding that young Muslims must stay strong and united in the face of modern challenges.
A frequent visitor to Pakistan, the imam urged the youth to seek guidance from clerics on religious matters instead of blindly following people with little understanding of major issues in Islam.
Earlier in the day, Juhany delivered the Friday sermon and led prayers at Islamabad’s iconic Faisal Mosque. Thousands of people from all walks of life, including women and children, attended the congregation where special prayers were offered for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan and the Muslim world.
Speaking at the youth seminar, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Nawaf Saeed Al Malkiy said young people were the backbone of any culture and religion and must be provided with modern education and skills.
Lauding the vision of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman with regards to young people, Malkiy said that a $100 million modern center was being set up in the Kingdom to educate and train the youth along modern lines.
“Ulema should play their role in putting the youth on the right path,” Malkiy said.
Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri said it was the duty of religious clerics to create awareness among the youth about the true teachings of Islam: “The youth must be armed with modern education and skills – just like they were in the age of the prophet [Muhammad].”
In his welcome address, the rector of the International Islamic University Islamabad, Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, said that Pakistan was home to 56 million young people whose true potential could be unleashed if they were equipped with education in science and technology.
Imam of grand mosque urges youth to stay strong in face of modern challenges
Imam of grand mosque urges youth to stay strong in face of modern challenges
- Juhany was addressing a seminar at the International Islamic University’s Faisal Mosque campus after Friday prayers
- Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan says Muslim youth must be provided with modern education and skills
Pakistan opposition rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand release of Imran Khan
- PTI-led gathering calls the former PM a national hero and demands the release of all political prisoners
- Government says the opposition failed to draw a large crowd and accuses PTI of damaging its own politics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanded the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan at a rally in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, describing him as a national hero who continues to command public support.
The gathering came days after a rare and strongly worded briefing by the military’s media chief, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who dismissed Khan as “narcissistic” and “mentally ill” on Friday while responding to the former premier’s allegations that Pakistan’s chief of defense forces was responsible for undermining the constitution and rule of law.
He said that Khan was promoting an anti-state narrative which had become a national security threat.
The participants of the rally called for “civilian supremacy” and said elected representatives should be treated with respect.
“We, the people of Pakistan, regard Imran Khan as a national hero and the country’s genuinely elected prime minister, chosen by the public in the February 8, 2024 vote,” said a resolution presented at the rally in Peshawar. “We categorically reject and strongly condemn the notion that he or his colleagues pose any kind of threat to national security.”
“We demand immediate justice for Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and all political prisoners, and call for their prompt release,” it added, referring to Khan’s wife who is also in prison. “No restrictions should be placed on Imran Khan’s meetings with his family, lawyers or political associates.”
Addressing the gathering, Sohail Afridi, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, denied his administration was not serious about security issues amid increased militant activity. However, he maintained the people of his province had endured the worst of Pakistan’s conflict with militancy and urged a rethinking of long-running security policies.
The resolution asked the federal government to restore bilateral trade and diplomatic channels with Afghanistan, saying improved cross-border ties were essential for the economic stability of the region.
The trade between the two neighbors has suffered as Pakistan accuses the Taliban administration in Kabul of sheltering and facilitating armed groups that it says launch cross-border attacks to target its civilians and security forces. Afghan officials deny the claim.
The two countries have also had deadly border clashes in recent months that have killed dozens of people on both sides.
Some participants of the rally emphasized the restoration of democratic freedoms, judicial independence and space for political reconciliation, calling them necessary to stabilize the country after years of political confrontation.
Reacting to the opposition rally, Information Minister Attaullah Tarrar said the PTI and its allies could not gather enough people.
“In trying to build an anti-army narrative, they have ruined their own politics,” he said, adding that the rally’s reaction to the military’s media chief’s statement reflected “how deeply it had stung.”
“There was neither any argument nor any real response,” he added, referring to what was said by the participants of the rally.
