- Govt indifferent to demands of Shia community as MWM’s protest entered 46th day
- MWM leader says they are left with no option but to take to streets
In what seems to be an attempt to mount pressure on the government for acceptance of their demands, the Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) on Monday announced a sit-in on all important highways across the country on July 22.
The MWM leadership has set up a hunger strike camp in front of the National Press Club against what they call the “continuous Shia genocide” and “inaction of the state”. They demand the government put an end to the ongoing wave of targeted killing of the people belonging to their community.
With the protestors vowing to continue with their hunger strike till their demands are met, MWM’s protest, calling for justice and stern action against elements targeting members of Shia community, has entered 46th day.
Talking to Pakistan Today, MWM Deputy Secretary General Maulana Hassan Zaffar Naqvi said they had been protesting peacefully for the last one-and-a-half-month for acceptance of their genuine demands.
He said the party had opted for peaceful ways to highlight the community’s suffering, adding that it would not fall into the trap laid by those conspiring against the country by reacting violently.
Naqvi said some powers wanted the MWM to become violent, but it would never be part of any game designed to harm the country. He, however, said that since the government was not paying any heed to their peaceful protest, they would be left with no option but to take to streets.
Naqvi said the government had time till Eidul Fitr but after that they would start a protest march across the country. He warned that they would block the entire country on July 22 and the government would be responsible for the entire situation.
“Millions of people of our community are just waiting for the leadership’s call, but we want to use all peaceful tactics to get our demands accepted,” he went on to add.
The MWM leader, to a question, said the incumbent government was virtually a headless government, since no one knew who was ruling the country in the absence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He further said that a number of political parties were in close contact with the MWM as they wanted to join its protest camp.
Naqvi regretted that even though politicians and leaders from almost all major political parties visited their camps to express solidarity, the government remained unmoved and the issue could not be taken up by parliament.
The MWM leader made it clear that they would not budge an inch from their stance come what may, adding that the government still had a chance to take care of the issue before it was too late.
Naqvi said his party did not want to destabilise the country, but it appeared as if the federal and Punjab governments were trying to put a ban on majalis and Muharram processions to suppress their voice.
According to Naqvi, the MWM has set up protest camps in more than 40 metropolitans across the world to register their peaceful protest worldwide.
