ISLAMABAD: Condemning government action against the participants of Islamabad sit-in, religious parties’ leaders advised the government to remain calm and remove the sacred cow [Zahid Hamid], allegedly involved in the attempt to amend the oath regarding Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.
Whenever a government reaches its last days, it begins violence against its own people as the current government has done, said Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) amir Sirajul Haq while talking to Daily Times. He criticised the government’s decision to ‘use force’ to disperse the ongoing sit-in in the federal capital, adding that it would further complicate the situation. Sacrifice of a minister was not a big task, who was involved in amending the law. If the law minister was not involved, then someone else had done it, and the government had to identify that person and give them exemplary punishment, the JI amir maintained.
Sirajul Haq further claimed that the use of force was not the solution to any issue. He said that the government itself had allowed the situation to worsen, only to save a minister; and had kept the entire nation on tenterhooks for more than two weeks. He said that despite countrywide protests and public demand, the report of Raja Zafarul Haq committee had not been made public. The JI chief said that either the law minister should resign or point out the person involved in the conspiracy to amend the law relating to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.
The JI chief said this had further complicated the situation. He said the government should not have abandoned the path of dialogue and peaceful understanding. He said it was the government’s responsibility to expose the elements conspiring against the faith in Khatm-e-Nabuwwat and punish them. He said that as long as the elements attempting to amend the oath regarding Khatm-e-Nabuwwat were not punished, the masses would not rest.
Jamiat Ulema-e Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Hafiz Hamdullah said the government did not take the change in [Khatm-e-Nabuwwat] law seriously, like the Dawn leaks, which put the government in trouble. “Why did the government not take action when the issue was highlighted at an initial stage?” the senator questioned.
He also claimed that all parties, especially religious, were united over Khatm-e-Nabuwwat. When the matter arose, the prime minister had to call a meeting of all parties and sort out a solution, but he failed to do so, he said. He said that the court gave a three-day deadline for clearance of Faizabad and also asked for no use of force. In such a situation, the government had no option but to take action, he said.
Former member of National Assembly and JUI-Samiul Haq Senior Vice President Hamidul Haq stressed the need for negotiation. The government should avoid use of force and resolve the matter amicably, he said. However, he also suggested the participants of sit-in that people had suffered greatly and they should realise the miseries of common people. He claimed that Zahid Hamid was not a sacred cow, who had created tensions in the country.
Leaders of the parties advised the government to accept demands of the protesters and remove Law Minister Zahid Hamid. They also advised protesting workers and supporters of Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s party to remain calm and avoid damaging public and private property.
“Why has the government not made Raja Zafarul Haq committee’s report public?” they asked. They said the prime minister should start negotiations with the ulema to avoid a situation that emerged after the use of violence.
The operation to clear Faizabad Interchange from protesters staging a sit-in commenced early morning on Saturday. The situation remained tense in the federal capital throughout the day after heavy contingents of police, Frontier Corps (FC), and Rangers were deployed at the interchange; where teargas and water cannons were used to disperse the protesters.
The sit-in has paralysed the federal capital for almost three weeks after protesters belonging to a religious party remained camped at the Faizabad Interchange. Protesters had been staging the protest against a change in the finality of Prophethood oath in the law when the government passed the Elections Act, 2017 last month. The change, dubbed a clerical error by the government, was immediately fixed as an amendment was passed later.
Published in Daily Times, November 26th 2017.
