Condemn issuing of fatwa by religious leaders on social media: Pakistan minister

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal today denounced the practise of issuing fatwa or religious decrees by clerics on social media to incite violence and religious hatred.

Addressing the National Assembly, he rejected edicts by religious men in favour of jihad after a growing trend of hate speeches and materials available on internet.

"Only state can declare jihad and no group has the authority in Islam to declare jihad...I humbly request religious leaders to condemn fatwas posted on social media," he said.

If people were allowed to issue fatwas against other for committing sins or declaring them heretics, then there would be a chaos in the country, Ahsan said.

"It is only up to God to decide who is going to heaven and hell and not our job," he said.

Ahsan's remarks comes a month after army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said only state should have monopoly over the use of force and authority to declare jihad.

Pakistan authorities are struggling to contain several groups involved in violence and a practice by clerics to denounce opponents as heretics and liable to death.