The gulf between Jamaat-e-Ahle-Sunnat Pakistan (JAP) and its partners in the Sunni Ittehad Council is widening, as the former unexpectedly met Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif around three days ago, which some say damaged the front presented by the SIC against the Punjab government.
The SIC has long demanded the resignation of Punjab government or at least Law Minister Rana Sanaullah under the pretext of its inability to nab the culprits behind the attacks on shrines. The SIC top brass has been concerned by the meeting, as its allied party did not take it into confidence before meeting Shahbaz.
Analysts believe that such strained circumstances can wreak havoc not only for the alliance of SIC, but JAP cadre would also suffer by the move. JAP can decide to distance itself from SIC if it follows its political agenda, while the people in JAP who wish to use SIC as a launching pad for their political careers, could ultimately quit or be forced to quit JAP.
Jamaat-e-Ahlesunnat Pakistan leader Syed Mazhar Saeed Kazmi said peace loving followers of Ahle-Sunnat Barelvi were victims of terrorism, but were being neglected by the government and “we held the meeting to seek the government’s response to the matter”.
“In November 2010, Shahbaz offered to accept 21 of our 22 demands and we met hism because we believe in reconciliation. Ditching or countering SIC was not our motive,” he said. When his attention was drawn to some of his party leaders, like Deputy Secretary General Fazlur Rehman Okarvi and Syed Safdar Shah Gilani, who were preparing to contest next election on the SIC platform, Kazmi said, “We are trying to reposition such people, even then if someone insists to go for politics, we will force them to leave the party.”
Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Haji Fazle Karim refused to offer a clear comment, saying, “Leave the issue for now. If someone has met Shahbaz, we will probe into the matter internally”. He rubbished the impression that the JAP leadership went to meet Shahbaz with SIC’s consent. Principal of Jamia Naeemia, Dr Raghib Naeemi, who has close ties with the Sharif family; said the Punjab chief minister would be the chief guest at Jamia Naeemia’s Shaheed-e-Pakistan Seminar being held around the second week of the next month.
He said the situation between JAP and SIC was fluid at the moment, and “the dust will settle down when it is time of the general elections.” Meanwhile, SIC has warned of an open war with the Punjab government if it tried to cancel the allotment of a plot already given to Jamia Rizvia, Faisalabad. SIC Secretary General Haji Hanif Tayyab blamed the Punjab government was hatching conspiracies against peaceful followers of Ahle-Sunnat, while people opposing the ideology of Pakistan had given a free hand.
