Security Forces Sacrifice Their Lives for Pakistan, Not Salaries: Tahir Ashrafi

Government and religious scholars are aligned on countering extremist elements, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi told reporters in Karachi.

The Pakistan Ulema Council chairman said cooperation between state institutions and clerics would continue to promote peace and interfaith harmony across the country.

Ashrafi framed unity among Muslims as essential to defeating what he described as hostile designs against Pakistan, adding that anyone standing with Islam would find the council standing beside them. He grew visibly emotional during the briefing while speaking about the country’s security forces, describing fallen soldiers as a source of national pride rather than statistics.

The chairman’s remarks centered heavily on defending the military’s public standing. He argued that security personnel serve at the border for sacrifice, not for modest salaries, and said soldiers routinely ask their mothers to pray for martyrdom before deploying. He apologized on behalf of the council to the army and to families who lost loved ones in service, saying such sacrifice cannot be measured in monetary terms.

Ashrafi’s comments arrive against a backdrop of rising public debate over security policy, as Pakistan continues confronting militant activity along its western border. He referenced countries where weak militaries left populations exposed, using that comparison to argue for continued public trust in Pakistan’s armed forces. He also said politicians should keep political contests separate from criticism of security institutions, warning that undermining public confidence in the forces carries risks beyond ordinary political disagreement.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, appearing at the same event, praised the National Peace Committee’s work and said all religious communities in Sindh continue to celebrate their festivals freely — a point he framed as evidence of the province’s record on religious coexistence. Senior Sindh minister Sharjeel Memon echoed the sentiment, saying Pakistan has consistently promoted religious harmony while young soldiers sacrifice their lives defending the country’s borders.

Whether this messaging translates into policy shifts remains unclear, but the alignment of religious and provincial political leadership around a shared security narrative signals an effort to present a unified front at a moment when public debate over security institutions has intensified.