Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the Prophet’s family (Ahl-e-Bait) and the holy Companions are two such segments whose sanctity, respect and safeguarding of honour is part of every believer’s faith without any shadow of doubt. He said that absolute refusal to respect the Prophet’s family and the Companions was Kufr (infidelity) because it was tantamount to rejection of the Quranic injunctions. He said that the Holy Quran made their respect and observance of sanctity binding on the Muslims. He said that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught the Muslims a lesson that he was leaving behind two things with them ordaining them to hold on to them, for they were guarantor of guidance; one was Allah’s Book and the second was his Ahl-e-Bait (R.A).

According to a statement issued from the Islamabad office, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo moto notice of disrespect shown towards the Prophet’s family in a morning show of private TV channel. He said that willful denigration of the Prophet’s family represented an attack on Islam. He said that given the sensitivity and criticality of the matter, it should be heard in an open court. He said that there was a need to revisit and revise the code of conduct for TV channels to avoid any possibility of repeat of such acts. He said that new code of conduct should be framed in consultation with all stakeholders and a framework should be prescribed to ensure its implementation in letter and spirit. He emphasized that license of any TV channel found to be violating the terms and conditions should be suspended forthwith.