Anti-terrorism protests mark Martyrs Days culmination

By: Salman Alvi

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Global Martyrs Days programmes announced by Tehreek Nafaz Fiqh-e-Jafariya, Pakistan concluded on Friday. Quran Khwani, Majalis-e-Tarahim, condolence meetings and peaceful protest rallies were held in all small and big cities and towns of the country for upgradation of Martyrs’ status, on this occasion.

Khutaba while delivering Friday sermons presented homage to all martyrs without any discrimination, prayed for promotion of their status besides expressing sympathies with the bereaved families.

A Majlis-e-Tarhim, organized by TNFJ district Islamabad, was held at the shrine of Sakhi Mehmoud Badshah, Aabpara, for height of ranks of martyrs.

Dr. S.M.Rizvi, convener TNFJ Central Martyrs Days Committee, while addressing the gathering said terrorism in Multan and Sialkot is a deep conspiracy against Muslim Ummah and beloved motherland Pakistan aimed at making makatib and masalik to fight each other and destabilizing the country so that enemies of Islam could meet their heinous targets.

By a resolution, the gathering unanimously demanded from the government to take strict action against the banned groups, but noble citizens and patriotic and religion-loving organizations should not be teased. The resolution urged that some private channels and national newspapers, which bred at the money of banned outfits, should be stressed to work under law.

A peaceful demonstration was staged at the end of the majlis led by different scholars. Protestors were holding portraits of Quaid-i-Millat-i-Jafariya Syed Hamid Moosavi besides banners and placards inscribed with condemnation for Sialkot and Multan incidents and demands regarding effective implementation of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

Allama Tajuddin Haideri, Central Senior Vice-President of the TNFJ while addressing a Majlis-e-Shuhada, said the objective of human being’s creation is worship and subservience to Allah and life is the name of struggle. Therefore, struggle for achievement of highest religious goals is going on all the time and sacrificing life to achieve this objective is considered a blessing while Martyrdom is the zenith of life.

Allama Haideri said the worst terrorism in Sialkot and Multan is the continuation of incidents continuously taking place for the last eight months through which our perpetual enemy desires to pitch us against each other so as to destabilise Pakistan. He lamented that administrative institutions that keep a soft corner for banned groups did not exercise sincerity of purpose for implementing the revolutionary and courageous steps taken by President Musharraf to root out terrorism.

As a result of which, he said, extremist banned groups and their wings were active by changing their names and outfit and some private TV channels and national newspapers were presenting them as representatives of different Makatib. He said terrorists are terrorists in whatever shape they are. If the government is sincere in taking action against banned groups then first of all, it should take notice of inclusion of these groups in political alliances and review the fact that which power is responsible for their registration with the Election Commission with new names and their participation in elections.

The TNFJ Vice-President said one incident after the other, one body after the other makes the government and its agencies active but afterwards government ministers call on heads of these banned groups in the form of delegations and if this trend continued, then how could the terrorism be controlled, he asked. He said terming any incident of terrorism an outcome of any reaction is not correct as this trend would strengthen sectarian conflicts despite the recognised fact that there is no Maktabi and Maslaki conflict in any region of the world including Pakistan and terming the war amongst a handful of extremists as a conflict amongst Makatib and Masalik is tantamount to strengthening terrorism.

A resolution adopted on the occasion while terming the government decision to take action against banned groups as voice of the whole nation, demanded from the government to invite representatives of recognised schools of thought in their meetings that are held at government level to create coherence, and avoid inviting those in these meetings who are traditionally flattering people and those who represent banned organisations working with new names.

The resolution demanded effective implementation of Anti-Terrorism Act and immediate arrest of culprits responsible for incidents of terrorism, giving them exemplary punishment and pay compensation to the affected.

Another resolution called upon the government to provide special treatment facilities to the injured of these incidents. It lamented that the government did not fulfil the promise of reconstructing Mosque and Imambargah Ali Raza, Karachi before Ramazan-ul-Mubarik.

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