ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday warned that attempts of bloodletting were being made on the pretext of religion.  He was speaking at a press conference alongside Federal Minister for Development Ahsan Iqbal. 

Referring to the ongoing campaign against Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, the defence minister said that few misguided people were targeting the CJP for a recent SC verdict which, he said, had nothing to do with the CJP.  He cautioned that the state would swing into action if the campaign against the CJP continued unabated. 

In a thinly-veiled reference to a religiopolitical party, he said few elements were misusing the religion for their petty political gains, stressing that true face of Islam should be shown to the public instead of threatening or killing people in the name of religion. 

“The state will not accept any turmoil on the basis of religion and will take action according to the law and constitution,” he warned.  Sharing his viewpoint at the presser, Minister Ahsan Iqbal recalled that a political party was created to foment chaos in 2018. 

Iqbal recounted decrees by religious scholars in which they said that terrorism, sectarianism and suicide killing had no link with Islam.  He called for unity among people instead of resorting to violence, hence ridiculing the nation in front of the world.

“We are being compelled to take action. We can’t keep our eyes closed anymore. May 9 culprits have still not been taken to task. The constitution must be respected, not denigrated,” he concluded.