RAWALPINDI - Come what may, the two-day conference would be held at the damaged site of Darul Aloom Taleem-ul-Quran on December 23-24 to express solidarity with the victims of sectarian violence of Youm-e-Ashur last month.
The procession of Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) will not be allowed to pass through its traditional route. The government should immediately release Rs250 million to compensate the traders, who suffered unbearable loss on December 15, besides handcuffing the real culprits involved in shedding the blood of innocent students of DATQ. These views were expressed by the clerics of DATQ and traders' representatives at a joint press conference held at Rawalpindi Press Club (RPC) here on Thursday.
The speakers included caretaker of DATQ Maulana Ashraf Ali, Maulana Aziz-ur-Rehman Hazarvi, Chairman Traders Action Committee Sharjeel Mir, President Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran Malik Shahid Ghafoor Paracha and a trader Sheikh Saleem, whose four shops were burnt during the clashes in Raja Bazaar. Addressing the press conference, Maulana Ashraf Ali said that a two-day conference would be held at the damaged site of seminary at every cost in the memory of those who got martyred in Ashura bloodshed. He said that the no procession would be allowed to pass through Raja Bazaar. He said that the government has failed in arresting the real culprits who played havoc on December 15.
The traders' representatives Sharjeel Mir and Malik Shahid Ghafoor Paracha said that the traders suffered a lot because of the clashes on Youm-e-Ashur and government has turned blind eyes towards the miserable situation. They said that those traders who have been running their businesses in Madina Market with investment of million of rupees have started sitting on footpaths to earn bread and butter for their families. "The government should immediately release sum of Rs250 million for the traders so that they can set up their businesses again," the traders' representatives demanded. They said that some anti-social elements wanted to disrupt peace of Pakistan by taking out religious rallies and the government should ban all the religious or political rallies immediately. All the traders were also united on one point that no procession would be allowed to pass through Raja Bazaar, they said, adding that we wanted peaceful atmosphere in the city and the government should device a comprehensive strategy in this regard while taking all the religious figures on board.
Meanwhile, All Pakistan Shia Action Committee staged a protest demonstration at the Benazir Bhutto Road (BBR) and demanded arrest of the perpetrators of Assna-e-Ashri Imambargah suicide attack. The attack claimed lives of four people while injuring 15 others. The protestors blocking the road for traffic for almost four hours also urged the government to nab the killers of Allama Nasir Abbas, who was gunned down in Lahore.
They also asked the government to show the door to Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah for his failure to provide security to masses.
President of Shia Action Committee Mirza Yousaf, Punjab President Saleem Haider, Maulana Shakir Naqvi, Maulana Azhar Hussain and a large number of women along with children participated in the demonstration.
Addressing the protestors, Mirza Yousaf said that terrorists have no religion and they should be given exemplary punishment. He alleged that no security was being provided to the mourners and called upon the government to provide security to the Chehlum processions.
He said that the procession at Dheri Hassanabad be provided special security, as an untoward incident took place earlier.
Mirza said that innocent people have been picked up by the law enforcement agencies in connection with Raja Bazaar incident. He asked the government to release all the innocent people or be ready to face the music. He announced a protest rally on Friday at the BBR. The protestors later dispersed peacefully.