ISLAMABAD, Nov 2 (APP):Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Wednesday said criticism regarding the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Qatar was unjustified.
Before proceeding to Bahrain on a four-day visit, Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council told APP that it was a matter of pride for the Arab and Islamic world that the host of FIFA World Cup is an Islamic country.
He, lauding the role of Pakistan’s armed forces in supporting the FIFA World Cup in Qatar said Pakistan wanted better relations with the Islamic world particularly the Arab countries.
He expressed his desire that the government should further deepen the relations between Pakistan and Arab Islamic countries at the public level. We assured the government and people of Qatar of all possible support, he added.
Ashrafi said Pakistan’s relations with the Islamic world and Arab countries were very strong clarifying that in the past, due to certain reasons, some problems were arisen, but now they were resolved.
“Today, all Islamic countries including Saudi Arabia are coming to Pakistan for investment purposes,” he said adding, “If there is internal stability in Pakistan, it is the epicenter of investment for traders, businessmen and governments of the Islamic world and Arab countries.”
Regarding the two-day conference organized by the Bahrain Dialogue Forum, he said intersect and interfaith dialogue was need of the hour and it should be held between the leaderships of all sects and religions from time to time in a bid to get rid of Islamophobia and other issues being faced by the Muslim Ummah around the world.
He further elaborated that it was necessary to have a negotiation process between the leaders of all sects and religions and legislate in the United Nations for the sanctity and prestige of all divine religions, books and prophets.
He lamented that these days Islamophobia had become a big problem in Europe, America, and Britain and proposed that until and unless, Islamic world and Arab countries leaders were not united at one platform, the persistent issues could not be streamlined in proper manner.
