The Shahbaz Sharif government has handed over the responsibility of controlling terrorists in Pakistan to a committee of Ulemas, with Tahir Asrafi, a close associate of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, appointed as its coordinator. According to Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Tarar, the committee has been formed to restore peace and tackle rising terrorist incidents across the country. Tahir Asrafi has shared platforms with Hafiz Saeed on multiple occasions, including attending hearings at the Lahore High Court in 2018. Their influence even led to the Palestinian ambassador leaving Islamabad that year.

Tahir Asrafi, chief of Pakistan Ulema, is an Islamic scholar based in Punjab, Pakistan’s largest province. He has studied Islamic subjects, completed a PhD, and previously worked as a journalist. He is active on social media, with around 55,000 Instagram followers, and has strong influence in Pakistan’s politics. In 2020, he was appointed as advisor on religious affairs by Imran Khan’s government and is also an expert on Middle East affairs.

The Peace Committee includes Ulemas such as Haji Abdul Karim, Abdul Rehman, Arif Hussain Wahidi, Naqib ur Rehman, Hussain Naimi, and Tahir Asrafi, with Rajesh Hardasani representing the Hindu community and Bishop Azad Marshall representing the Christian community. The committee’s primary role is to engage with terrorist elements and help stabilize the security situation in Pakistan.