Terrorism will grow till religion is sold as commodity, says Pak Defence Minister

Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that terrorism will continue to grow till religion is being sold as a commodity and hatemongers continue to spread sectarian hatred.

While addressing a workers convention of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Sialkot on Saturday, Asif maintained that Muslim Ummah will not be united and religious differences will continue to strengthen if businesses continue to run under the disguise of religious practices, reports the Dawn.

"War against terrorism is the prime focus of all politicians but terrorism cannot be uprooted if ideologies are not changed," he said.

The minister added that terrorism is an ideology and a mental condition, whereas media can play a significant role in curbing terrorism and eliminating religious extremism.

During his speech, Asif also criticised media over allegedly blowing the sectarian conflicts out of proportion. He said that those people are given air-time on media who exploit religious differences.

"Such people are given airtime only because they bring in ratings and push forward the business agenda," he said.