KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Friday urged religious scholars to highlight the importance of peace and play a proactive role in advancing the peace process.

The president held a meeting with members and head of the Afghanistan Ulema Council at the Presidential Palace, a statement from the palace said.

At the meeting, the president said ulema should highlight the importance of peace and help strengthen the peace process.

The ulema council issued a declaration at the meeting read out by its member Maulvi Attaullah Ludin, the statement said.

In the declaration, the council had urged all print and electronic media organisations to broadcast benefits and virtues of the holy month of Ramadan and avoid every kind of vulgar scenes during the fasting month.

The ulema council said peace was the Almighty God’s divine order and was preached by the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and remained the fundamental requirement and a matter of survival of the Afghanistan Muslims.

The ulema council called on all religious leaders, tribal elders, mujahideen and civil society groups to join hands with the Afghan forces who were defenders of Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.

President Ghani thanked the Afghanistan Ulema Council members. As the heirs of the Prophet, the scholars had always defended the national and Islamic values and had rescued the masses from heading to darkness and guided them on the right path.

The president urged the scholars to explain the importance of peace in Islam through their sermons and continued efforts and invite people to the peace process.

The president said everyone who was Afghan and who recognised Afghanistan should appear for talks to strengthen peace.

Ghani said he was hopeful jobs would be created for the Afghans with implementation of economic development projects in major cities. (Pajhwok)