Urumqi, China (Khyber Mail) July 24, 2025 — In a landmark interfaith dialogue held in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, senior religious leaders from Pakistan and China jointly condemned terrorism as a crime against humanity and pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation to counter extremism through peaceful religious engagement.
The meeting, hosted at the headquarters of the Islamic Association of Xinjiang Autonomous Region, brought together a high-level Pakistani delegation led by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Information Advisor to the KP Government, and a Chinese delegation headed by Mamat Ali, Vice President of the Islamic Association of Xinjiang. The two sides explored avenues for strengthening religious connectivity and promoting mutual understanding.
Mamat Ali briefed the Pakistani delegation on the religious landscape in Xinjiang, noting that Muslims in the region freely practice Islam, supported by hundreds of mosques and madrasas offering education in Quran and Sunnah. He emphasized that Xinjiang has remained free of terrorist incidents for the past decade, attributing this stability to robust counter-extremism measures and interfaith collaboration.
Barrister Saif expressed gratitude for the Chinese government’s hospitality and highlighted Pakistan’s religious diversity. He was joined by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq, Director General of the Islamic Research Institute, who presented Paigham-e-Pakistan—a peacebuilding initiative endorsed by over 6,000 Pakistani ulema aimed at promoting tolerance and social reconstruction.
Other prominent members of the Pakistani delegation included Sahibzada Adnan Qadri, KP Minister for Religious Affairs; Syed Qasim Ali Shah, KP Minister for Social Welfare; and Maulana Zubair Ashraf Usmani, Deputy President of Dar Ul Uloom Karachi. They shared insights into Pakistan’s religious life and reiterated the importance of cross-border collaboration in promoting peace.
The Chinese delegation, which also included Imam Bai Shengfu, Adushukur, and officials from the Urumqi Municipal Committee, welcomed the Pakistani leaders and facilitated visits to key religious and cultural sites, including the Urumqi Shaanxi Mosque, Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, and the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center, where the delegation viewed exhibits on counter-terrorism and anti-extremism efforts.
Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation through joint initiatives, scholarly exchanges, and community-level engagement to foster interfaith harmony and prevent radicalization. The visit was organized in collaboration with the International Research Council for Religious Affairs (IRCRA) of Pakistan.