In joint fatwa, KP clerics denounce terrorism

• Taking up of arms against the state’s police and military "haraam".
• Only the head of the Islamic state can declare jihad, say clerics.
• Rebelling against the constitution is punishable by law.

Clerics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Monday issued a fatwa against terrorists and terror activities, deeming the taking up of arms against the state’s police and military haraam (forbidden) in the Shariat (Islamic law).

As terrorism rears its ugly head once more in the country following the end of the ceasefire with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November 2022, scholars of various schools of thought from KP have made a clear declaration against terrorism.

These clerics belong to a number of different seminaries, including Darul Uloom Peshawar, Jamia Darul Uloom Haqqania, and the Organisation of Al Madaris issued fatwas.

Furthermore, the Association of Al-Madaris Al-Arabiya, Rabat Al-Madaris, Association of Al-Madaris Al alafiya, Al-Madaris Al-Shia Association, Jamia Al-Quran Education, and Ulama Council of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also condemned terrorism.

The fatwa issued by the clerics from the province, where most of the recent terrorist attacks were carried out in the preceding year, declares that only the head of the Islamic state has the prerogative to declare jihad (holy war).

“Not everyone has the right to declare jihad,” the fatwa noted and add that avoiding the observance of the law is against the Shariah.

It is further stated in the fatwa that taking up arms against the police and military personnel is against both the Sharia and the state, and anyone who rebels against the constitution and laws of Pakistan will be punishable by law.

Resurgence of TTP

The TTP ended its ceasefire — signed in June 2022 — with the government in November last year. Since then it has been responsible for taking scores of innocent lives and has recently upped the ante as it launched multiple attacks and killed several people.

In light of the increase in attacks across the country, the National Security Committee (NSC), in a recent meeting announced that no country would be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists and Pakistan reserves all rights to safeguard its people.

“This [terrorism] will be dealt with the full force of the state. Pakistan’s security is non-compromisable and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of the territory,” the committee had decided.

Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah in a press conference on January 4 also mentioned that during the previous year, 67% of the attacks took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 31% in Balochistan, while Sindh and Punjab accounted for 1% of the strikes.