On Feb 12th, 2012, a coalition of right-wing religious and political parties staged a show of strength in Karachi.
A flag dominated meeting:
The announced time for the meeting was 11:00 AM so I reached venue -- next to Mazar-e-Quaid -- at 12 noon. Found it very poorly attended mostly by Madresas’ students carrying huge flags. I was able to get a place in the 3rd row on the carpet yet the stage was not visible as there were too many flags, which the carriers refused to lower even at the appeal of organisers. Except for the carpets there was no crowd. Large numbers of chairs remained empty, mostly in behind.
The security in front of the stage was under Jamat e Islami, who kept the crowd far away from the stage. The security at entrance and around the venue was firmly in the hands of Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Many guards were on horses carrying flags, while not a single policeman or ranger personnel were present.
Jamaat-ud-Dawa’s large flags and balloons dominated the venue, however the largest number of flags and participants were from Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal Jamat.
Local leaders like Ahsan Mehanti of JI addressed the crowd till the meeting broke at 1:00 PM for prayers to resume at 1.30 PM.
I thought the meeting was a complete flop because except for the desperately poor Madresas’ students who were obliged to attend such meetings or lose their chance of getting two breads for meal, there was no one. However when I reached Numaish a big rally of Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal Jamaat arrived. I decided to rejoin the meeting after prayers. By that time one-forth chairs were occupied and I managed to get a seat on the carpet. Munawwar Hasan or JI and Mualana Sami-ul Haq, the President of Difa-e-Pakistan Council arrived at 2:00 PM. Soon Ejaz-ul Haq and General (Retd) Hamid Gull and his son arrived and the meeting gathered momentum.
In one after another fiery speeches, USA and India were severely denounced. Even one speaker assured us that Pakistan will soon be expanded up to Calcutta. As the time passed number of participants grew up, and by 5:00 PM all seats were occupied.
Assorted participants- a weak coalition:
As a large number of parties and organizers were participating there was no dearth of speakers. There was a big fight for time of speech. Organizers were finding it difficult to keep speaker end their rhetoric within the allocated time. Even Shaikh Rashid’s speech was ended abruptly; as he kept on repeating his lectures he gives on TV talk shows.
Time was allocated according to contribution of the large number of parties taking part which included:
1. Muslim League-Sher-e-Bengal,
2. ML-Ejaz Ul Haq,
3. Pakistan Ulema Council
4. Awami Muslim League,
5. Ansar-ul Umma,
6. Jamaat Islami,
7. JUI -- Sami ul Haq,
8. JUI -- Nazaryati,
9. Jamhoori Watan Party,
10. Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal Jamaat,
11. Jamaat-ud-Dawa
However, while other parties including a representative of PTI and Shaikh Rashid were given a chance to make small speeches, to mark their attendance, it was mainly a show of strength of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal Jamaat.
I estimate that they represented 80% flag and attendance and probably they paid most of the bill. JI played second to these parties.
From religious divide point of view it was 100% Deobandi school of thought get-together. No Barelvi, Shia or other sect of Islam was represented.
In line with their way of thinking not a single woman participated, either as speaker or attendee. Some female journalist looked odd in this all male meeting.
By the time the key-speakers like Ludhianvi of Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal Jamaat, Hafiz Saeed of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Munawwar Hasan of JI got chance to speak, darkness was fast looming so they hurried with their speeches. Therefore when Maulana Sami-ul Haq came it was past Maghrib prayer time, and he endorsed all speeches up to then, as his own speech and summed it as follows:
Idealist and impractical demands:
That a follow-up ‘Dharna’ in front of Parliament will be organized on 20th Feb, to press on following key resolutions of the Karachi meeting:
1. Drone attacks should be stopped
2. Talks with Taliban should be resumed and action against them stopped
3. NATO supplies should not be resumed. Even air space should not be given
4. Most Favored Nation status to India should not be given
5. Struggle for Liberation of Kashmir should be intensified
6. USA should not interfere in Balochistan and Akbar Bugti murderer should be punished
7. Aafia Siddiqui should be freed and assault on her sister should be investigated
8. Relations with USA should be reviewed and their aid refused
9. Loan taken from international aid agencies may be defaulted as they were not taken by Pakistanis but their corrupt leaders for their own use
10. NATO/ USA should not dare to take action like 26th Nov 2011 again. If they do so, we should respond with lethal force
Militarily defeated forces turning to democracy
A meeting of this magnitude in Karachi by a banned organization confuses me. Following questions come to my mind:
1. How can Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JD) color Karachi with neatly and artistically written wall-chalking against India and than hold this meeting without approval of Establishment? Hafiz Saeed is considered to be the ‘mastermind’ of Mumbai attacks in Dec 2008. JD is a reformed name for Jesh-e-Mohammed.
2. Why establishment is backing such forces?
3. Who is funding these lavish expenditures?
4. Why is Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) given such free hand? When they do not hide the fact that they are successors of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP). SSP is the enemy of Shias, Aga Khanis, Bohris, Ahmadis and all Barelvi sects. Considering them worst than Non-Muslims. If possible they would like to cleanse Pakistan of these divergent Muslims.
5. Is it a keen jerk reaction of 26th Nov 2011 attack? Or
6. Is our Army really thinking of going to war with US and NATO? Is it worried about spending cuts as a result of improving relationship with India and using all it assets to delay the process?
7. It is possible that Saudi interests of promoting their brand of Wahabi Islam and our Army's interest of keeping their budget allocation intact has brought about this coalition of different forces.
Observations:
Common Saudi and Gulf citizen hates USA and are fed up of the strangle hold and would love to see it destroyed in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Therefore they donate generously when al-Qaeda or Jamaat-ud-Dawa kind of organisations come seeking funds.
I have attended fundraising of Hafiz Saeed in Riyadh. In which large sums were given to him ostensibly for social work and to help Kashmiris. Similarly funds for al-Qaeda were raised very easily.
With the help of such funds Hafiz Sahib has built a large Fort for himself in Muridkay which is beyond the reach of Pakistani authorities. He has also created a large social-work network including standard educational institutions, good medical facilities, a fleet of ambulances (under Falah-e-Insaniyat) Foundation - FIF) because of which he enjoys lot of respect and support among locals. I saw FIF helping people of Sujawal in Sindh during 2010 floods.
Charges against Hafiz Saeed could not be proved in courts and now he is able to show his power in major cities of Pakistan.
SSP continues to operate despite the ban. In Karachi meeting the portrait of Azim Tariq was proudly displayed in Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal Jamaat posters.
SSP at odd with 80% Muslims of Pakistan has been receiving lot of beating in Karachi. Its new leader Ludhianvi cries on TV, at the death of large number of his followers in Karachi.
His worry for his own life was visible by the amount of armed guards around him. The tit-for-tat killing of SSP supporters and there equally well-armed opponents, create a bad image of Pakistan and causes a lot of concern.
Authorities may be trying to intensify the fight to eliminate extremists on both sides. However their massive show of force on 12th February must have sent a wave of fear among non-Wahabi militant outfits like Iran-backed-Shia extremists, Sunni Tehrik and other Barelvi militant outfits.
The turf-war of Saudis and Iranian on Pakistani soil is going on for long, but it was intensified during Zia-era, when State sided with Wahabi forces like SSP. Creating fear among Shias in particular and they sought Iranian help and created own defenders.
Conclusions:
1: Since the killing of Osama our red-faced and embarrassed Army has done a number of knee-jerk reactions which was not needed. Memogate and formation of Difa-e-Pakistan Council are two of them. Both will fizzle out soon. The whole nation is with them and they are not a burden on us. As economy will expand exponentially, their budget will become easily bearable. Continuation of Democracy and needed reforms are only requirement.
2: The Taliban and al-Qaeda are militarily defeated. Thus their ideological backers are now humbled and trying to become Democratic. This is welcome. Let Difa a Pakistan Party be formed and try to win few seats in assemblies. They will know soon where they stand.
3: The issue of foreign interference should be brought into public debate. Along with US, Saudi Arabia, Gulf States and Iran must be asked to stop funding various groups in Pakistan.
4: As a democratic country we should backup democratic forces in Gulf and Iran as a tit-for-tat for what these nations have been doing in our country for a long-time based on their riches and taking advantage of our poverty.
5. Wahabis should be advised to only adopt peaceful means propagation of their Brand of Islam and give up coercive means or face the full force of Law.
They can not fight the State as well as better armed and trained opponents. Unfortunately people prefer other sects over them as evidenced by their growing numbers and influence.
6. Hafiz Saeed should be advised to concentrate on his social work and compete with Edhi.
He should understand that with the opening of trade routes and creation of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Kashmir issue has not remained the same.
Issuance of 5-year multiple visas for Kashmiris on both sides and opening of more trade routes will further dilute the cause.
If we make the mistake of holding plebiscite under UN in the whole of Kashmir including Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and occupied Kashmir, there would be a good chance that we will loose Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan as these areas are predominantly Aga Khanis, Shia and Nurbakhshi.
Who is afraid of the dominance of Wahabi Islam in Pakistan? According to whom they are Wajib-ul-Qatl. Why they should choose a country where they must give up their religion or get killed? This is the price of our religious extremism.
(Writer is the President, Overseas Pakistani Investors Forum)
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