Friend of Hafiz Saeed to Oversee Counter-Terrorism Efforts in Pakistan

The Pakistani government has assigned a friend of Hafiz Saeed, the leader of Lashkar-e-Taiba, to oversee the control of terrorists in the country. According to Information and Broadcasting Minister, a committee of religious scholars has been formed to manage terrorists and work towards peace. Tahir Ashrafi has been appointed as the coordinator of this committee. Ashrafi is known to be a friend of Hafiz Saeed and has shared a stage with him on several occasions. In 2018, Ashrafi accompanied Hafiz Saeed to the Lahore High Court. Their association also led to the expulsion of the Palestinian ambassador from Islamabad in 2018. Ashrafi is a prominent Islamic scholar and a resident of Punjab province. He has a degree in Islamic studies and is active on social media. In 2020, he was appointed as an advisor on religious affairs by the Imran Khan government. He is also knowledgeable about Middle Eastern affairs and has a strong influence in Pakistani politics. Ashrafi studied at Punjab University and was also a journalist before pursuing his PhD. The government has decided to establish a peace committee to address the growing terrorist incidents. The committee includes religious scholars like Haji Abdul Karim, Abdul Rahman, Arif Hussain Wahidi, Naqib ur Rehman, and Hussain Naeemi, with Tahir Ashrafi as the coordinator. Rajesh Hardasani from the Hindu faith and Bishop Azad Marshall from the Christian faith are also members. The primary role of the committee is to engage with terrorists and promote stability in Pakistan.