ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Three martyrs of Bari Imam incident were buried in New Katarian’s Shah Qaaf Graveyard as a trust by the Pursa Bari Imam Committee of Tehreek Nafaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafariya District Islamabad.

Quaid-i-Millat-i-Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi’s special representative Hojjatul Islam Allama Syed Saqlain Ali Bokhari led the funeral prayer in which thousands of people belonging to different schools of thought including TNFJ Secretary General Syed Mazhar Ali Shah Advocate, central office-bearers of the Tehreek, prayer leaders from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, ulema, waizeen, zakireen, religious and Matmi workers, Sunnis and Shias participated.

A hue and cry was raised and every eye was deeply wet as the coffins were taken away from Jafariya mosque. The funeral procession reached the G.T. Road performing Noha-Khwani and Matamdari where workers of Mukhtar Students Organisation Islamabad staged a protest demonstration.

Pursa Committee office-bearers Hojjatul Islam Allama Basharat Hussain Imami, Allama Fakhar Abbas Abidi, Nusrat Ali Naqvi, Zulfiqar Ali Raja, Assad Abbas Haideri and other leaders led the demonstrators who were carrying placards inscribed with different slogans condemning the Bari Imam incident, paying respect to the martyrs of Bari Imam incident, demand to implement Anti-Terrorism Act and giving exemplary punishment to the culprits of Bari Imam incident.

The procession turned out into a protest rally after reaching the New Katarian bridge. TNFJ District Islamabad President Allama Basharat Hussain Imami while strongly condemning the Bari Imam incident said, heinous terrorist attack on Majlis-e-Aza in the holy shrine is aimed at weakening and destabilising the country and fanning anarchy and differences but the government should be thankful to us that despite so big an incident, we following the directive of the Quaid-i-Millat-i-Jafariya Hamid Moosavi remain peaceful and saved the Federal Capital from going into bloodshed and he advised his workers and the people not to become enraged and avoid arson. Majlis-e-Aza was held there at the spot despite this heinous act and the traditional procession was taken out and terminated at the shrine of Bari Imam Sarkar. He said by remaining peaceful we foiled the conspiracy of enemies of religion and motherland and thus slapped in their face.

Allama Imami said the District Administration was fully cooperating with them and they are in contact with us but claims by some Ministers about the best security arrangements on the last day of the Urs are totally farce. These Ministers should avoid giving irresponsible statements and giving any wrong direction to this incident. He demanded from the government to appoint a Probe Commission immediately to dig out real cause behind the Bari Imam incident.

He lamented that neither the President nor any Minister, Adviser or MNA participated in the funeral of the martyrs while they used to go wherever a minor incident is reported. This situation, he added, indicates that the present government is bent upon pushing the Maktab-e-Tashayyo towards the wall and as Tehreek Nafaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafariya was leading the Maktab-e-Tashayyo therefore no Minister, Adviser, and government representative offered condolences to us.

He made it clear that Majlis-e-Aza is held at Bari Imam for quite long under the auspices of TNFJ District Islamabad and today all funerals were taken up by the Tehreek and buried them in line with the desire of the bereaved families but, he added the rulers and media did not fulfil their duties viz this incident. He said a private TV channel gave coverage to an announcement of mourning by a banned group of Karachi and coverage was given to a Press conference organised by a banned group in Islamabad but they did not allot a place to the 5-day mourning announcement of the only representative body of the Maktab-e-Tashayyo Tehreek Nafaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafariya. Similarly, he said a Punjabi-language private TV channel used the word ‘banned’ for TNFJ, which is condemnable, and we reserve the right to take legal action against that.

He said our gentlemanliness and peaceful policy should not be considered as our weakness, we only keep the interests of the nation and the country dear to us and would thwart every conspiracy and mischief in future like we did in the past through mutual unity.

Paying homage to all martyrs of Bari Imam incident he thanked the participants of the funeral, particularly Ahle Sunnat, Barelvi, Deobandi, Ahle Hadis and Christian community and called upon the Azadaran to remain patient and display wisdom and forbearance by strictly following the directive of their beloved leader Agha Hamid Moosavi and keep an eye on the enemies of Islam and Pakistan.

The funeral procession then reached the graveyard where martyrs were buried as a trust followed by Fateha Khwani. District Administration had made foolproof security arrangements on the occasion. Traffic on Faizabad-Pirwadhai Road remained suspended during the funeral prayer and the funeral procession.

Meanwhile, MSO District Rawalpindi took out a protest rally on Murree Road to condemn the Bari Imam incident. The rally taken out from Liaquat Bagh turned out into a protest meeting after reaching the Moti Mahal Chowk. MSO Central President Haider Abbas Bajwa, Mushtaq Hussain, Naseer Hussain Sabzwari, Adeel Haider Haideri, and Ajmal Hussain Naqvi addressed the rally.

The demonstrators while paying homage to the martyrs of Bari Imam incident, strongly demanded from the government to arrest the culprits forthwith and give them exemplary punishment. They also demanded effective implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and tightening noose against the banned groups. President Musharraf was asked to take a suo moto notice of the banned groups working with new names and their inclusion in the political alliances and government committees. The demonstrations dispersed peacefully after raising vociferous slogans. A heavy contingent of District Administration and police remained present on the occasion.