Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council and Coordinator of the National Paigham-e-Aman Committee, Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, on Friday received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation at a prestigious ceremony held in the Great Hall of the historic Lambeth Palace in London.
The award was presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, in recognition of Ashrafi’s decades-long contribution to peace, reconciliation, moderation, interfaith and intra-faith harmony, minority rights, peaceful coexistence, and his consistent stand against extremism, terrorism and sectarian violence.
The Hubert Walter Award is one of the Lambeth Awards presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury to recognise distinguished contributions to reconciliation and interfaith cooperation.
According to details released by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ashrafi is among the leading figures honoured across five categories of the Lambeth Awards this year and received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation.
The award marks an important international recognition of Ashrafi’s longstanding work in peacebuilding, religious diplomacy and dialogue. He has remained actively engaged for decades in bringing religious and sectarian communities closer, promoting mutual respect, defending the rights of minorities and vulnerable communities, and advocating peaceful coexistence while remaining firmly committed to his faith and Islamic identity.
Ashrafi has also previously received the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Global Peace Award in recognition of his contributions to peace, harmony and cooperation. The OIC distinction and the Hubert Walter Award are two distinct international awards, reflecting recognition of his work across the Muslim world and the wider international community.
His journey has extended from Pakistan to Makkah, and from Makkah to the wider world, carrying a message of peace, moderation, brotherhood, tolerance and dialogue, while advocating for the oppressed and maintaining a strong voice against religious hatred, extremism, terrorism and sectarian violence.
These international recognitions are also a matter of pride for Pakistan and the wider Muslim world, highlighting internationally a message of religious harmony, moderation, dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Ashrafi is also a Member of the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League, Secretary-General of the International Tazeem-e-Haramain Sharifain Council, and Member of the International Muslim Forum, and is associated with several international Islamic and interfaith organisations.
