LAHORE: The “Save Pakistan Long March” organised by the Sunni-Ittehad Council (SIC) arrived in Lahore on Sunday night after steering clear of all hurdles.
With close to 2,000 vehicles and thousands of people, the SIC procession entered the city peacefully. The SIC was received with immense enthusiasm by local religious parties and various reception camps where seen along the roads to welcome the participants of the long march. SIC spokesman Ziaul Haq said more than 7,000 workers of the council had been arrested across the country, adding that the march had faced many hurdles on way to Lahore.
Members of various religious parties greeted the SIC march at Data Darbar. “We’re standing here since 1pm,” said Illyas a maddarssa student standing at Data Darbar. The SIC called the long march to protest the current law and order situation across the country and inflation. The rally started from Bari Imam in Rawalpindi on a call by Sahibzada Fazal Karim, the chairman of the SIC.
Former Haj DG sent on 14-day judicial remand ISLAMABAD Staff Report/Arif Taj Former Haj Director General Rao Shakeel was sent to jail on Sunday on a 14-day judicial remand. FIA officials produced Shakeel in Judicial Duty Magistrate Malik Naeem Shaukat’s court after completing his physical remand.
On a request by the FIA officials, the duty magistrate ordered that Shakeel be sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand. The FIA had arrested Shakeel on November 13 from his residence in Lahore for being involved in embezzlement of millions of rupees in hiring residences for Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
The scam surfaced when a large number of pilgrims complained that arrangements for their residences in Mecca were poor and inadequate. It was also said that Pakistan’s Haj Directorate in Saudi Arabia had hired cheap residences for the pilgrims and embezzled the money deposited with them for their stay.
The scam also led to a row between Federal Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi. Swati had alleged that Kazmi was also involved in the embezzlement.
