Demand for ban on armed 'jihad' groups

MULTAN, APRIL 3. An international Islamic gathering in Pakistan has passed a resolution and demanded a ban on groups who arm themselves to wage `jihad' or holy war, a spokesman said today.

The two-day conference, attended, according to witnesses by tens of thousands of people, was organised by Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, an organisation from the majority Sunni Muslim community in the country. The organisation, which follows the sub-continent's Brelvi strand of Sunni Islamic theology, is considered a relatively moderate group.

``The Government must ban groups which set up private arsenals in the name of waging `jihad','' a resolution passed by the conference, which ended here late Sunday, said. ``Such groups should be held to account,'' the resolution demanded, without naming any outfit.

The conference also called on the United Nations and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to take steps to mitigate the sufferings of Muslims in Chechnya.

- AFP

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Section  : International
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