LAHORE - Leaders of 32 religio-political parties at a conference yesterday set a deadline of March 27 for the government to take back the women protection law, saying they will launch a mass movement otherwise.
In case the demand is not met the parties would assemble in Islamabad on April 2 to decide their future course of action and the modalities of the anti-government campaign.
The conference was hosted by the Jamaat-e-Islami at its Mansoora headquarters and the proceedings continued for more than five hours. The conference came to an end with the adoption of a seven-point declaration encompassing various demands of the participants. JI chief Senator Sirjaul Haq presided.
Before the issuance of the declaration, the leaders of the participating parties – a couple of them being allies of the ruling PML-N – expressed their views in support of their demands.
They warned of starting a movement on the pattern of the one in 1977 launched by then opposition Pakistan National Alliance which resulted in the overthrow of Zulifikar Ali Bhutto’s government and imposition of the martial law.
Prominent among the speakers were Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F), Samiul Haq (JUI-S), Hafiz Saeed (Jamaatud Dawa), Professor Sajid Mir (Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith), Hafiz Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer (Jamiat Ehle Hadith), Pir Ijaz Hashmi (JUP), Sahibzada Abul Khair Zubair (JUP-Noorani) and Hafiz Akif Saeed (Tanzeem-e-Islami).
They chose the deadline of March 27 as it was the day when parties will gather at Rawalpindi’s Liaqat Bagh to observe the Chehlum of Mumtaz Qadri, the man who killed then governor Salman Taseer and was hanged under a court order. The declaration condemned the execution of Mumtaz Qadri.
It urged the government to purge the economy of riba (usury) and end ‘harassment’ of religious seminaries, scholars and students. It also demanded ending the ban on media coverage of Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s welfare activities and bar on Tablighi Jamaat’s religious activities in educational institutions.
“Religious parties are united against the efforts of the secular lobby which is conspiring to make Pakistan a liberal state,” read the declaration.
A steering committee comprising leaders of religious parties was also formed to formulate recommendations on how the women could be saved from domestic violence in the light of Shariah (Islamic laws).
Some leaders, in their speeches before the finalisation of the declaration, proposed the formation of an alliance and the launch of a joint movement.
Fazalur Rehman, who called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and CM Shehbaz at their Jati Umra residence the other day, tried to calm down the furious speakers calling for an immediate launch of mass movement against the government. He supported a dialogue with the government, for which he said the government has already formed a committee.
Presenting details of his Monday’s meeting with the premier, the JUI-F chief said Mian Nawaz Sharif had promised to look into the matter personally.
He said the prime minister told him that any law repugnant to Quran and Sunnah would not be framed or retained. He suggested that the participants form a steering committee to hold dialogue with the government at Punjab level. “We must not give an impression to the world that we are undemocratic and shying away from dialogue,” he argued.
Fazl also proposed setting up another body to discuss with the prime minister how future laws could be framed in the light of in light of Quran and Sunnah.
The JUI-F chief told the conference participants that the prime minister was not in the loop and was stunned on knowing that the law passed by the provincial legislature was ‘Un-Islamic’. The premier, he said, also conveyed his feelings to his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif.
On this, JI leader Liaqat Baloch said both the Sharifs were on the same page and any impression to the contrary was not well-founded.
Samiul Haq, Hafiz Saeed and Hafiz Akif Saeed were not in favour of forming an alliance of religious parties or launching a movement.
However, JUI-S chief Samiul Haq said the Sharifs are “not trustworthy”. Their past record shows they deceived the religious circles every time by making false promises, he said, alleging them of betraying him by not enforcing Shariah. “They (Sharifs) also gave me mandate to hold dialogue with Taliban but later suddenly started operation against them,” complained Sami.
Professor Sajid Mir, an ally of the government, was in favour of holding dialogue with the rulers but at the same time he said rallies and conferences should be held to keep pressure on the government.
Government’s take: Zaeem Qadri, a spokesman of the Punjab government, talking to The Nation ruled out the possibility of taking back the law passed unanimously by the provincial assembly for guarding women against domestic and societal violence. The government has already formed a committee to see if the law contains anything contrary to Quran and Sunnah.