LAHORE/KARACHI/ LAKKI MARWAT - The Jamaat-e-Islami observed country-wide protests on Friday, condemning the hanging of JI Bangladesh leader Abdul Qadir Moll in the so-called war crimes.
Protest rallies were held in all major cities including Lahore and Karachi, Multan, Quetta, Peshawar while Molla’s funeral prayer in absentia was also held at different places. The funeral prayer held at Multan Road near Mansoora was led by JI chief Syed Munawwar Hassan. He also expressed his condolences with Molla’s family. Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed led the funeral prayer for the JI leader at Jamia Quddsia.
Clerics, in their Friday addresses condemned the attitude of Bangladesh Prime Minister Haseena Wajid and termed the so-called war tribunal as Kangaroo court whose decisions were tantamount to the murder of justice.
Hassan, in his address at Mansoora Mosque, said that for the last three years, there was rule of tyranny and injustice in Bangladesh and those who were loyal to Pakistan Are being victimised. He said the JI had been pressing upon the Pakistani rulers that the Bangladesh government be made to abide by the Bhutto-Mujib pact under which Islamabad had recognised Dhaka. “In case, the Bangladesh government did not agree, Pakistan should have approached the International Court of Justice.”
However, he said, it was unfortunate that the authorities in Islamabad remained totally indifferent to the matter and the people, who offered their lives while fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan armed forces, were being victimised for the last 42 years. He said it was shameful that the Pakistan government described the conviction of Abdul Qadir Molla as an internal issue of Bangladesh. He said on the other hand, the Bangladesh government was still levelling serious allegations against the Pakistan army but the rulers are not ready to raise a voice against it.
The JI leader said it was unfortunate that thousand of the retired army men, who were a witness to the sacrifices of the JI Bangladesh leaders for Pakistan, should have prevailed upon the government to play its role but there was no voice raised from any quarter.
Addressing the protest rally, JI Punjab chief Dr Wasim Akhtar said the US policy makers, Indian Hindus and Zionists are happy over the hanging of Abdul Qadir and considered it as their success. However, he said the martyrdoms had always raised the morale of Muslims and history of the Islamic movements was full of sacrifices.
JI Foreign Affairs Chief Abdul Ghaffar Aziz said that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyeb Ordagan had contacted Bangladesh Premier Haseena Wajid a few hours before the execution of Abdul Qadir Molla, warning her of the severe reaction of the move. He said it was unfortunate that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not even think of contacting his Bangladeshi counterpart in this regard, though the JI leader was being executed for his loyalty to Pakistan.
PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain also condemned the Bangladesh government’s act of hanging religious leader Abdul Qadir Molla, and expressed wonder over the Pakistani rulers for being silent on the issue. “The international laws have been ignored as far as JI leader Abdul Qadir Molla’s case is concerned,” Shujaat said. He said that the leader has been punished for siding with Pakistan in a bid to avert the dismemberment of the country at the hands of separatists. “The JI leader was a patriot and sacrificed his life for Pakistan. “I wonder why the Pakistan government is keeping mum over the issue.”
Meanwhile, in Lakki Marwat, local chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami strongly condemned the execution of Abdul Qadir Molla and asked the Pakistani government to lodge a strong protest over it.
At a protest meeting with JI Lakki chief Sabz Ali Naveed in chair, the speakers said that Molla was hanged to death because he was loyal to Pakistan and supported Pak Army during 1971 war.
They said the execution was against the principles of justice, saying that trying of political opponents affiliated with the JI for war crimes by Bangladeshi government is condemnable.
Similarly in Karachi, the rightist parties appeared identical over the execution of Abdul Qadir Molla. JI and Jamatud Dawa performed funeral prayers in absentia, while banned outfit Tehreek Taliban Pakistan, Muttahida Dini Mahaz and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat condemned the execution, terming it unjustified penalty.
JI Sindh Chief Dr Mirajul Huda Siddiqui along with scores of party workers and sympathisers performed funeral prayer in absentia at Baitul Mukarram Mosque, University Road. Later, the participants protested against the unjustified death penalty to the JI veteran leader and expressed their agitation against the illegal act of Bangladeshi government. Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Naib Ameer JI Sindh Asadullah Bhutto, JI Karachi Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, Naib Ameer JI Karachi Nasrullah Khan Shajih and others spoke to the protest rally at University Road. “Where are the so-called human rights champions on this unjustified execution of Abdul Qadir?” Siddiqui questioned.