LAHORE: Provincial Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Khawaja Salman Rafique on Tuesday attended the flag hoisting ceremony of the holy shrine of Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), Najaf Ashraf, held at Idara Minhaj-ul-Hussain in Johar Town.
Secretary Auqaf Department Dr Ehsan Bhutta, Chairman Muttahida Ulema Board Mufti Intikhab Ahmed Noori, Patron-in-Chief of Minhaj-ul-Hussain Allama Dr Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Syed Kazim Raza Naqvi and other scholars attended in large numbers, according to an official statement.
A delegation from the holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS), Najaf Ashraf, specially participated in the ceremony.
Khawaja Salman Rafique said the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal is the month of the holy birth and arrival of the beloved Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) — the best of mankind, the benefactor of humanity and the reason for the creation of the universe. He noted that Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) was also born in this holy month.
He said it was a matter of great pride to be present at the ceremony, and that according to the vision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Punjab government fully believes in inter-Muslim unity and inter-faith unity. He described Allama Dr Muhammad Hussain Akbar as a person of a very beautiful personality.
The Minister said the holy land of Iraq belongs to Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah have mercy on him). “We pray through Rabi-ul-Awwal and on the occasion of the birth of Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) that Allah Almighty keeps Pakistan, Palestine, Iran and Iraq in His protection and security,” he said.
The delegation from the Imam Ali (AS) Shrine, Najaf Ashraf, said they pray for the peace of Pakistan and expressed their best wishes for Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the Punjab government.
Patron-in-Chief of Minhaj-ul-Hussain Allama Dr Muhammad Hussain Akbar said the same flag that Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) kept flying at the shrine in Najaf Ashraf was being hoisted in Lahore, describing it as a great blessing.
He expressed gratitude for the attendance of Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and his colleagues, and highly appreciated the efforts of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for the unity of Muslims.
Flag ceremonies associated with major shrines carry considerable devotional significance, and the participation of a delegation travelling from Najaf Ashraf gives the Johar Town event an unusual dimension. The presence of the Chairman of the Muttahida Ulema Board — the provincial body constituted to promote sectarian harmony and regulate religious content — alongside the Auqaf Secretary places the ceremony within Punjab’s formal framework for managing inter-sect relations, particularly during months of the Islamic calendar when large religious gatherings are common.
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