Various religious parties oppose Azadi March

LAHORE: Different groups and alliances of religious parties affiliated with Barelvi school of thought have condemned JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other opposition parties for launching an anti-government movement at a time when the country is facing severe internal and external dangers, and appealed to all democratic forces to take serious notice of this “chaotic and hypocritic politics”.

Addressing press conferences at different places on Tuesday, Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasoolallah (Jalali) Chairman Dr Ashraf Asif Jalali and Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Hamid Raza warned that the Azadi March is part of the enemy’s agenda against national security, adding that Fazl wants to promote politics of chaos and hypocrisy in the country through Azadi March and sit-in in Islamabad. They said the Azadi March would actually divert public attention from the genocide of Kashmiri Muslims and state repression in the held valley to annex it with Indian union.

Addressing a press conference, SIC Chairman Hamid Raza, JUP-Niazi leader Pir Masoom Hussain Naqvi, Pir Jalil Sharaqpuri MPA, Pir Khalid Sultan, Razaul Mustafa Naqshbandi and leaders of 25 parties of Ahle Sunnat said that pushing the country into chaotic conditions through Azadi March just before a few days from holy month of Rabiul Awwal was part of foreign agenda to create instability in the country. They vowed that the students of Sunni seminaries would not participate in the Azadi March or any other activity against the national security and unity. They welcomed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement to remove reservations of seminaries on the government’s proposed reforms of seminaries.

They announced observing a countrywide Kashmir Solidarity Day on October 25, and “Solidarity of Pakistan Convention” at the convention centre, Islamabad, on Oct 26, to oppose the Azadi March and express solidarity with Kashmiri Muslims, holding rallies and seminars across the country. They announced names of 25 religious parties which declared dissociating themselves from the Azadi March. They are Jamaat Ahle Sunnat Pakistan, Sunni Tehreek, Markazi JUP, Tanzimul Madaris Action Committee and others.

Jalali announced holding “Kashmir Freedom Conference” and “Afkar-e-Raza Seminar” near Minar-e-Pakistan on October 26.