MIRAMSHAH: A TTP militant claiming to be the Peshawar district chief of the banned group has accepted responsibility for Tuesday evening’s suicide attack on a hotel that left nine people dead. Although the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan had denied its involvement in the explosion at Pak Hotel in Koocha Risaldar locality of the old city area, Mufti Hasaan Swati told reporters on Wednesday that the bombing had been carried out to avenge an attack on a seminary in Rawalpindi in November. “It was carried out to avenge the death of innocent students of Madressah Taleemul Quran.” He said the attack on the hotel, mostly used by visitors from Parachinar, was part of revenge attacks that included the killing of Tehreek Nifaz Fiqah-i-Jafria Pakistan leader Ali Asghar and a bank manager from a particular sect in different parts of Peshawar district. “The attacks were carried out to fulfil the wish of our central deputy emir Shaikh Khalid Haqqani to avenge the death of innocent students in Rawalpindi,” Hasaan said.
Hasaan is a member of the TTP’s supreme shura but it is not clear when he was appointed the Peshawar chief of the group.
The TTP’s central spokesman Shahidullah Shahid who had earlier stated that his group had nothing to do with the attack was not available for his reaction to the claim made by Hasaan. Security sources acknowledged that Hasaan’s name had figured in communication intercepts some time ago. How this development would impact the nascent peace process between the government and the militants was not clear but a member of the negotiating committee appointed by the Taliban said he would check with the TTP before making any comment. “As far as we know the TTP has denied its involvement in the bombing. We shall contact them and ask them about this new claim,” the Jamaat-i-Islami’s Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, one of the three members of the committee, told Dawn. Irfan Siddiqui, coordinator of the government committee, said he would wait for a formal reaction from the TTP spokesman.
Mr Siddiqui said efforts to reach out to the TTP committee to schedule a meeting had failed. “We are waiting to hear from them.”
Hasaan said the attacks would not undermine peace talks with the government but as long as there was no ceasefire as a result of the talks, militants would continue their activities. With a TTP banner in the background, Hasaan was accompanied by Haroon Khan, alias Mast Gul, a leader of the Hezbul Mujahideen who had risen to fame following a gun battle with Indian security forces and his dramatic escape from Charrar-i-Sharif in India-held Kashmir in 1995. He hails from Sadda in Kurram tribal region. He was given a hero’s welcome by the Jamaat-i-Islami which showcased him at public meetings but later distanced itself from him after finding him to be violating the organisation’s discipline. The 47-year-old militant survived an ambush near Peshawar in August 2003 and little was known about his whereabouts since then. Hasaan said he had tasked Mast Gul, whom he described as a militant “commander” for Peshawar, to carry out the attacks. REFERENCE: ‘TTP Peshawar chief’ owns up to Tuesday’s sectarian attack PAZIR GUL 2014-02-06 07:40:12 http://www.dawn.com/news/1085226/ttp-peshawar-chief-owns-up-to-tuesdays-sectarian-attack
04 January, 1996 KARACHI, Dec. 29: Mr Must Gul, a Kashmiri activist, was picked up by the police from the Jamaat-i-Islami office. It was the second police raid at the Jamaat office. The first raid on the office was conducted in the small hours of Friday when the police party failed locate Mr. Gul. The Sindh government order was served by an SDM who first showed it to city Jamaat chief Naimatullah Khan. When Mr Khan informed Mr Gul about the orders, he said: I am a citizen of Pakistan and as such it s my responsibility to respect the law of the land , and then he accompanied the police party. Shortly after this, the local leaders of the MYC (Milli Yekjehti Council protested against Mr Gul s arrest. REFERENCE: Police arrests Must Gul DAWN WIRE SERVICE 04 January, 1996 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1996/04Jan96.html#poli
Qazi Hussain Ahmed with BBC Hard Talk
Qazi Hussain Ahmed with BBC Hard Talk by SalimJanMazari
04 January, 1996 KARACHI, Dec. 31: Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the chief of Jamaat-i- Islami, has held the government responsible for the deteriorating law and order situation in the city. Accusing the government for patronising acts of the law enforcers, e directed party workers to assist those who were subjected to terrorism of the police and political activists. In this context, he said there should be no discrimination on political consideration. Qazi Hussain Ahmed flayed the government for allegedly following the dictates of the United States which has threatened integrity of the country and endangered sovereignty of the neighbouring Islamic countries like Iran. He was of the view that the Unites Sates is trying to use Pakistan as a springboard for undermining the Muslim world. Commenting on the arrest of Major Must Gul and his subsequent externment from Sindh, the JI chief alleged it was done to please the US and India. REFERENCE: Qazi blames govt for lawlessness DAWN WIRE SERVICE Week Ending : 04 January, 1996 Issue : 02/01 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/spa/zohkohb0i282t94/Area%20Studies/public/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1996/04Jan96.html#blam & Thousands Greet Kashmir Shrine Fight Hero Mast Gul , August 1, 1994 http://freepresskashmir.com/thousands-greet-kashmir-shrine-fight-hero-mast-gul/
Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi and Syed Munawar Hassan
Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi on Shia Community in Pakistan
Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi on Shia Community in... by SalimJanMazari
“… 2002 as the doctors in Karachi continue their protest against the targeted killings of their colleagues, the failure of the government to be moved into action is shocking. … Thirty-two people have been killed in sectarian incidents in the country since the beginning of the year, of whom seven were doctors. What comes as a matter of shock and dismay is the weak response of the government to a ghastly situation … Its half-hearted statements condemning the killings do not reflect serious official concern. This also confirms the insensitivity of the military government to the sentiments and security needs of the people. The distressing message conveyed by the government’s inaction is that it is unable, or worse still, unwilling to act …” Editorial in the Karachi newspaper Dawn, 16 March 2002. PAKISTAN: No protection against targeted killings . PAKISTAN
No protection against targeted killings http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA33/030/2002/en/571b9b61-d7a7-11dd-b024-21932cd2170d/asa330302002en.pdf
Ayesha Siddiqa on Shia target killing in Kohistan (BBC 28 Feb 2012)
Ayesha Siddiqa on Shia target killing in... by SalimJanMazari
Amnesty International Report on Shia Genocide in Pakistan 2002 http://www.scribd.com/doc/178645945/Amnesty-International-Report-on-Shia-Genocide-in-Pakistan-2002
Ahl-e-Hadith Mullahs Declare everyone Apostate in Pakistan
Ahl-e-Hadith Mullahs Declare everyone Apostate... by SalimJanMazari
'Eight top terrorists inside Lal Masjid' - * Ejaz says mastermind of PM suicide attack killed in operation July 09, 2007 ISLAMABAD: Eight "high value terrorists" wanted by Pakistan and other countries are holed up inside Lal Masjid, while another was killed by security forces in the ongoing operation, Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq said on Sunday.
"Nine suspected terrorists said to be far more dangerous and harmful than Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives were hiding inside the mosque compound," Haq told a press conference here. He refused to reveal the identities of these militants.
He said that security forces killed one of these suspected terrorists inside Lal Masjid on the second day of the ongoing operation. He was the mastermind of the failed suicide attack on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Attock in 2005, he said.
Haq said that the militants and not Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Lal Masjid's deputy chief cleric, were controlling the mosque. "The militants are holding children and Ghazi hostage," he said. He said that of those who had surrendered to the security forces, three girl students were still unclaimed. They were being kept at the Pakistan Sports Complex.
He said that about 500 male and female students were still stranded inside the mosque. He also ruled out the government launching any action against other madrassas in Pakistan, including Jamia Faridia.
AFP adds: The hardcore militants inside include two commanders from the banned Harkatul-Jihad-e-Islami, security officials said.
"We believe there are militants from Harkatul-Jihad-e-Islami, which was involved in the [Daniel] Pearl murder. Based on intelligence we suspect that two commanders from the group are in there," one senior official told AFP. "They have taken control and they are putting up fierce resistance." The information was based on "intercepts" and other intelligence, the officials said.
A source inside the mosque said there was a "lot of tension among the various groups inside the compound on how to conduct the fight". He identified one of the Harkatul-Jihad-e-Islami militants as Abu Zar, said to be a one-time accomplice of the group's late leader Amjad Farooqi, who was killed by security forces in 2004.
He also named a Pakistani Taliban militant from Waziristan, Mohammad Fida, as the "security chief" of the compound. There was no official confirmation of the names. Reference: 'Eight top terrorists inside Lal Masjid' - * Ejaz says mastermind of PM suicide attack killed in operation July 09, 2007 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/main/09-Jul-2007/eight-top-terrorists-inside-lal-masjid
Barelvi Mullahs Declare everyone Apostate in Pakistan.
Barelvi Mullahs Declare everyone Apostate in... by SalimJanMazari
Ejaz says he helped release Ghazi in terror cases Wednesday, April 11, 2007 ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ejaz-ul-Haq has admitted that he had made personal efforts to get Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Naib Khateeb of Lal Masjid, released in cases of terrorism.
Expressing his views in a talk show on Geo TV alongside Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal, Nayyar Bukhari of the Pakistan People’s Party and Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi on Tuesday, the minister said he took the action after a written confirmation from the Maulana guaranteeing his good behaviour.
Giving his side of the story in the programme, Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi denied the minister’s claim, saying he was never indicted in any terrorism case, while his car was impounded by police, which was never returned.
He failed to give a satisfactory answer when asked about the fact that former chairman National Book Foundation Ahmad Faraz had registered an FIR against him on charges of forced occupation of land belonging to the Ministry of Education, but still no action was taken against him.
Taking part in the debate, Ahsan Iqbal and Nayyar Bukhari accused Ghazi Abdur Rashid of conniving with the government to stage a socio-political drama to divert public attention from the ongoing judicial crisis.
Ghazi said he has made it clear to PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain that the occupation of Children’s Library would continue until their demands for implementation of Islamic Shariah were fully met.
Upon the terse comments, Ejaz-ul-Haq said if the Shujaat-Ghazi talks failed, the government would have no other option but launch a full-fledged operation at Lal Masjid. Meanwhile, Khateeb of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz has started writing to the Ulema and the seminary students nationwide to seek their support in the ongoing row with the government.
In his letters he urged the Ulema and students to rise against such social evils like liquor, obscenity and so-called “liberalisation”. The letters also urged all the students and the Ulema to proceed to Lal Masjid unarmed but with their batons and baggage for Aitekaf and speeding up their services for promulgation of Islamic values.
They have been advised to avoid any prolonged bickering with personnel of the law-enforcement agencies and limit themselves to self-defence, refrain from rioting and destroying and burning public property at all costs.
They have further been advised to rather offer themselves for jails but try to preach Islam and Islamic values, including Jihad to jail inmates, if detained by the government. On the other hand pamphlets have been distributed in Karachi by Tehrik-e-Talaba urging all to proceed to Islamabad on the call of Maulana Abdul Aziz. —Online
Monitoring desk adds: talking to Geo News correspondent, Ejaz said that the administration of Lal-Masjid and the Jamia Hafsa was not showing flexibility in talks with the government. The minister warned of operation against it, which could result in the loss of lives if the matter remained unresolved. The federal minister said that senior Ulema, including scholars from Waziristan and Hangu, have been disappointed after failure of their efforts to convince Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and Maulana Abdul Aziz.
Ejaz believed that restoring the writ of the government was not a difficult task, however, he added, the establishment was not willing to do it at the cost of human lives. Ejaz urged both Maulanas Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi of Lal Masjid to adopt sagacious approach and avoid confrontation with the people. “Both the brothers should negotiate with the government and help reach a peaceful settlement of the issue as it is creating doubts in minds of the people of the country, he added.
The people from various walks of life and the Ulema and Madrassa students persuaded them to give up but alas they did not pay heed to, he said. Terming one-month ultimatum issued by Lal Masjid absurd he said the Objective Resolution is the part of the Constitution and ensured that no law contrary to the Islamic injunctions can be enacted in the country. Responding to a question, he said enlightened moderation is not contrary to Islamic teachings as Islam stands for acquiring knowlege. It also preaches moderation as the best way of life. Ejaz says he helped release Ghazi in terror cases Wednesday, April 11, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=7065&Cat=13&dt=4/11/2007
Barelvi Taliban in ARY NEWS (13 February 2011) by SalimJanMazari
ISLAMABAD: Some hardcore terrorists, involved in various national and international terrorist acts, have pitched inside the Lal Masjid and the government will disclose their number and identity at an appropriate time. Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz-ul-Haq stated this at a press conference here on Sunday. He supported his statement with the information that the man killed on the second day of operation on Lal Masjid was one of the terrorists involved in attack on the prime minister. The minister said these elements have taken control of the mosque and are bullying the children taken as hostage, with death threats. The government has adopted flexible stance only due to presence of students inside the mosque, Ejaz said, adding: ìAbout 200 to 500 students are estimated to be surrounded and strictly guarded by these terrorists.î The minister informed that the government has released approximately 200 of the arrested students so far, while 450 to 500 students are still in custody and arrangement for lodging and education for these students at the Model Madrassah in Haji Camp is being considered. All of the Jamia Fareedia students have left for their homes, while faculty members and their families are kept in protective custody there, he told a questioner. Replying to a query about the high number deaths in the Madrassah as claimed by Maulana Ghazi, the minister said: “A rumour factory working in the Madrassah is engaged in distracting attention of the media. The truth will be exposed after ambulances bring the bodies out from there.” Coming hard on the demand of safe passage to these elements, he said, “What kind of safe passage they are talking about? They are reaping what they harvested.” The government tried every option but the Madrassah administration kept altering its demands, he added. Responding to a question, the minister reiterated the government’s stance that no action was being taken against any other Madrassah in the country. Referring to different government steps the minister said meetings have been arranged with renowned religious scholars so as to secure release of students from the Madrassah and avoid bloodshed. Maulana Rafi Usmani and Hafiz Jalandhari have reached Islamabad in this connection while a three-minister committee is also closely watching the situation, he added. Responding to another question, the minister criticised the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami for showing hasty gestures and issuing irresponsible statements. Hardcore terrorists holed up inside Lal Masjid: Ejaz Monday, July 09, 2007 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=63682&Cat=6&dt=7/9/2007
Memory Loss of Syed Munawar Hassan & Jamaat-e-Islami
Memory Loss of Syed Munawar Hassan & Jamaat-e... by SalimJanMazari
Madrassas, Ijaz ul Haq and Musharraf September 12, 2005 The federal religious affairs minister, Ijaz ul Haq, repeated his view on a private TV channel on September 9, that there was no evidence that the madrassas were involved in terrorism. He said a mistake was made in Pakistan, and outside, in associating the banned jihadi-terrorist organisations with the madrassas. He said the Uzbeks in South Waziristan were the people who came as the vanguard of the Soviet troops to fight the 1979-88 Afghan war, but went back to Uzbekistan to demand their rights from "the worst dictator in the world", President Karimov of Uzbekistan. They were savagely treated and pushed into Afghanistan where the Taliban gave them asylum. They took no part, he said, in the war against America but had to flee to Pakistan after 9/11. (This is the most hypocritically disingenuous account of the movement of Qari Tahir Yuldashev that one has ever heard. It also contradicts the position taken by Lt-General Safdar Hussain, the Peshawar corps commander, on the same TV channel, a week earlier.)
The pro-MMA-madrassa flurry of statements by Mr Haq has encouraged others to use private TV channels to obfuscate the issue of the isolationism and rejectionism of the madrassas and their exploitation by terrorist organisations, including Al Qaeda. Thus we had a former chief justice of the Sindh High Court shocking us out of our wits by stating on a private TV channel on September 10, that the madrassas were the central education system of the Muslims in India till the British got one man willing to serve them (he was referring to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan) to open a parallel system of education to outflank and destroy the madrassas. He said the 9/11 and 7/7 incidents were stage-managed to justify plans to destroy the Muslims. He said he did not believe that Muslim youths were capable of the terrorism of 7/7, leaving behind telltale evidence to implicate them.
It appears that Mr Haq's rhetoric is catching on with private TV channels, where the hosts or anchorpersons either do not know the background to the growth of terrorism in Pakistan or are a part of the "Islamic reply" to the "accusations" of the West. On September 9, Maulana Abdul Maalik of the MMA was so emboldened by Mr Haq's presence that he announced that the madrassas would teach jihad as qitaal and needed no permission from the state for starting a war. Mr Haq remained quiet, even though he knew well that Sufi Muhammad of Malakand had ordered a private jihad in favour of the Taliban and had got 8,000 Pushtuns to populate the prisons of the Afghan warlords. He pretended not to see the implications of madrassas deciding when and with whom to go to war without asking the nation-state in which they were located. Indeed, Mr Haq got a discussion so skewed in favour of those who would depose President Pervez Musharraf in the name of Islam that an "unofficial" discussant, Mr Javed al-Ghamidi, had to say that mistakes were made by the madrassas as well.
The fact is that most top madrassas are directly or indirectly involved in breeding militant Islamists who are inclined to become terrorists. This has been proved beyond doubt, unless you want proof of nothing less than actual military training grounds on their premises. Pakistan's most notorious terrorist wanted by India together with Ahmad Umar Sheikh, the murderer of Daniel Pearl in Karachi, is Maulana Masood Azhar, a graduate of the Banuri Town madrassa in Karachi. The director of the madrassa, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai — target-killed last year –arranged the first meeting between Osama bin Laden and Mullah Umar, the self-styled "caliph" of the Taliban. The South Waziristan terrorist still on the loose in his area, Abdullah Mehsud, went straight to Banuri Town madrassa after his release from Guantanamo Bay and declared war on the Americans and "their allies". After his mentor Mufti Jamil of the madrassa was killed in Karachi, he struck in South Waziristan, kidnapping two Chinese engineers, with horrible consequences for Pakistan. On June 24, Mufti Rehman and Maulana Irshad, new heads of the Banuri Mosque madrassa in Karachi, were also target-killed.
Before the world pressured Pakistan into banning them, some of the jihadi organisations boasted the highest number of madrassas in Pakistan. Those organisations have changed their names, but still exist — and so do their madrassas. One private TV channel exploring the world of madrassas (and finding them clean!) last month visited a very well appointed "university" in Karachi run by Lashkar-e-Taiba, a banned terrorist organisation. Another TV channel visited another madrassa in Islamabad — this time a women's seminary called Dar al-Hafsa — and was bombarded with rhetoric of rejection of the state, which begins a young Pakistani's journey into extremism and violence. The TV host wanted to know if the seminary did not take them away from the mainstream of society and expose them to a discourse that made them reject the state. One woman seminarian said that General Pervez Musharraf had blasphemed by saying that women should not be behind the veil. The women said wahi was their command; the state was not. One said she rejected the state. On the other hand, Mr Ijaz ul Haq said on TV that the government had apologised to Dar al-Hafsa and had punished the police officer who had tried to force his way into the madrassa looking for a terror suspect.
President Musharraf has said many things on TV that his religious affairs minister is trying to negate through his own gloss on the madrassas. For instance, the president said that the men who tried to kill him had been trained and equipped with explosives in South Waziristan where, he said, he had hunted down and killed some Uighur terrorists from Sinkiang at the request of China. New research is available on the presence of Uighur terrorists in Pakistan, if Mr Haq is interested in the latest information. President Musharraf had also complained of the terrorists of Southeast Asia getting their ideological training in the madrassas of Karachi — the largest Deobandi concentration including madrassas belonging to Sipah-e-Sahaba. He even named Hanbali, the Indonesian terrorist linked to Al Qaeda. The man he got arrested from Dubai on the charge of trying to kill him in Rawalpindi, Qari Saifullah Akhtar, is a graduate of the Banuri Town madrassa.
The problem with all madrassas is that they nurse a mind that adopts isolationism as a way of looking at the world. The total lack of realism following World War I that inspired the Khilafat and Hijrat Movements and the Reshmi Romaal Conspiracy tells us that the madrassa is and has always remained a politically dangerous fool's paradise. This isolationism breeds rejectionism of the world in general and the nation-state in particular. It is the incubator of personalities that later lead Muslim society to extremism and violence. Therefore, Mr Ijaz ul Haq should have the guts to either denounce President Pervez Musharraf and leave his cabinet or admit that the president is pulling a fast one on the world and the people of Pakistan. * EDITORIAL: Madrassas, Ijaz ul Haq and Musharraf September 12, 2005 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/12-Sep-2005/editorial-madrassas-ijaz-ul-haq-and-musharraf
Syed Munawar Hasan Somersault on Hakimullah... by SalimJanMazari
LAHORE: The Hasba bill clashes with the fundamental rights' clauses of the Constitution and would create a parallel judicial system in the country, said Constitutional experts.
Majority of the experts believe that the bill does not need president's approval, however constitutional lawyer Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Pakistan People's Party leader, said that the bill does require the president's consent, before it became an act.
"Article 151 (4) states that an act of the provincial assembly which imposes any reasonable restriction in the interest of public health, order or morality, or for the purpose of protecting animals or plants from disease or preventing or alleviating any serious shortage in the province of an essential commodity shall not, if it was made with the consent of the President, be invalid," said Ahsan.
He said that since the clause also mentioned 'public order or morality' so the reference about president was applicable to the Hasba Bill. "The provincial governor has to sign it under the Article 116 of the Constitution but the president's consent will also be required since the matter relates to inter-provincial harmony and relations," said Aitzaz.
Raza Rabbani, leader of the opposition in the Senate, said that the bill violated the fundamental rights' clauses in the Constitution. "The bill violates all the fundamental rights clauses of the Constitution and the Supreme Court will look into the whole thing," said Rabbani.
He said that the governor could withhold the bill for 30 days and then send it back to the provincial assembly for review. "But if the assembly passes the legislation again the governor cannot withhold the bill any more and it would be deemed to have passed as an Act," said Rabbani.
Dr Abdul Basit, Constitutional lawyer and expert, said that the bill was a "senseless piece of legislation" and the provincial assembly had the right to pass it. "I would say it is martial law imposed by the mullahs and is a ridiculous piece of legislation. If passed it would mean that the judicial matters have been handed over to the Chief Minister," said Dr Basit.
He said that the Hisba Bill obligated people to do good and avoid bad but then the whole set of jurisprudence and constitution did the same. "The constitution has already been mutilated beyond recognition and this would add to its plight," said Dr Basit.
Justice (r) Tariq Mehmood, former Supreme Court Bar Association president, said that the Hasba bill clashed with the fundamental rights ensured by the Constitution. "This is a terrible piece of legislation and would create a parallel judicial system in the country. It violates all the basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution and would lead to anarchy in the country," said Justice Tariq. Hasba bill clashes with Constitution, say experts * Would create parallel judicial system by Mohammed Rizwan July 16, 2005 http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Jul-2005/hasba-bill-clashes-with-constitution-say-experts
Ansar Abbasi want enforcement of Sharia and Military Action Against Islamist Terrorists at the same time!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Sufi, Taliban must be fenced in after edicts : ISLAMABAD: Maulana Sufi Muhammad’s demands for an Islamic justice system have been met but his latest edicts against the country’s judicial, parliamentary and constitutional system may deprive him of the fruit of his life-time achievement. Undoubtedly the ANP government in the Frontier, the National Assembly of Pakistan and even President Asif Ali Zardari have agreed to support the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation for the sake of peace in Swat despite having different opinions on the issue. The peace deal was being seen as a hope by many to secure the valley from being pushed back to pre-Feb 16 era of lawlessness, brutal killings, burning of girlsí schools, kidnapping for ransom and militancy. It should remain so and not be allowed to get derailed owing to a rash statement publicly made by Sufi Muhammad because any knee-jerk reaction can lead to a civil war there. What Maulana Sufi Muhammad has uttered were his already known views but by expressing them in a public gathering at this crucial juncture of the Swat peace process the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief has acted as a spoiler. His decades long struggle for Islamic justice system in Swat and Malakand Division is in sight but now he himself has threatened the achievement of his life’s goal. Now many fear that after the implementation of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in Swat and the Malakand region, he would possibly try to extend his struggle to other parts of the country. Despite all such fears and in the absence of any other option to address the Swat crisis, the provincial government is, however, still showing commendable restraint and struggling to regain its lost writ in the area through negotiated and peaceful means. Maulana Sufi Muhammad’s statement that Pakistan’ democracy, its laws and judicial structure all are un-Islamic was rarely welcomed by any political leader, including even those belonging to religious political parties. While the ANP, the PPP and the PML-N deliberately did not show any strong reaction to Sufi’s declaration perhaps to save the peace process from being ruined, it was the Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munnawar Hasan and JUI-F’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman who clearly rejected the TNSM chiefís interpretation of Islam vis-‡-vis Pakistan’s democracy and judicial system. Several Ulema from different schools of thought also argued against Sufi’s remarks. This is a unique situation and a possible opportunity for the government to sit down with all different political and religious parties and leading religious scholars and agree to a unified strategy whereby Sufi Muhammad or Taliban’s interpretation of Shariat should be restricted and not allowed to spread beyond their areas of control through public awareness campaigns to be launched jointly by the religious groups and political parties. At the same time the government and the leading political parties are also required to distance themselves from the US war on terror, without which it may not be possible to check the spread of Talibanisation and extremism in society. In this situation where extremism is growing, the government should also avoid taking steps that may please Washington and other Western capitals but are considered un-Islamic internally. REFERENCE: Sufi, Taliban must be fenced in after edicts BY Ansar Abbasi Wednesday, April 22, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=21667&Cat=13&dt=4/22/2009 Ansar Abbasi on the enforcement of Sharia 6 February 2014 Daily Jang http://jang.com.pk/jang/feb2014-daily/06-02-2014/col1.html
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