SAHIWAL/OKARA: Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani has said that no one can think of abolishing the council without amending the Constitution. He was talking to the media at Jamia Madina, Okara, on Thursday.

He said the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl had left all ministries but did not leave supporting the PML-N government and it would fully support the government policies. He appreciated the recent Nawaz-Zardari meeting and termed it political maturity, saying it would strengthen politics.

Commenting on ‘differences’ between military and civil establishment, Maulana Sherani stressed that political parties, the government and the army must be on the same page as the situation had become so critical that if anyone of them sank, all other institutions of the state would sink. He further said “all will have to accept their constitutional role.”

Talking about Pervez Musharraf’s trial, Mr Sherani said he (Musharraf) had returned to Pakistan at his own will but the situation had changed after that and he could neither leave the country without the Supreme Court permission nor was he in a position to ask “anyone.”

Mr Sherani said the talks with the Taliban were in interest of the West and other international political players and all of them wanted the talks to be successful that’s why they must not be taken lightly. He said the tribal Jirga, made by the JUI-F, could be helpful if the government and Taliban talks were to succeed.

Responding to a query, he said, “Altaf Hussain had asked for a passport and Chaudhry Nisar would issue it. I am neither Altaf nor Chaudhry Nisar.”

Maulana Ghulam Mehmood Anwar, Syed Ihteshamul Haq Gilani and Qari Saeed Ahmad Usmani were present.

Earlier, Maulana Sherani was invited by District & Sessions Judge Safdar Saleem Shahid and the all district judicial officers met him in the retiring room of the sessions court.