Shah Nawaz Mohal and Farid Sabri
While Lal Haveli and Bani Gala ruled the news cycle on Friday, a rally was held in Aabpara by Sunni Ittehad Council, an alliance of religious parties despite imposition of Section 144 in the Capital.
The government imposed Section 144 in Islamabad on Thursday for next 2 months in order to curb the ‘lockdown’ of city by PTI and other parties. When the whole might of the government machinery was busy in tackling PTI in Bani Gala and workers of AML near Committee Chowk and Laal Haveli, Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat, originally a proscribed organistaion, and other parties were having a bike rally followed by a convention in Hockey Ground, G-6.
According to sources, the NOC was obtained by ASWJ but with the imposition of Section 144, the notice has been rendered invalid.
Sunni Ittehad Council Central Chairman Ahmed Ludhianvi, while addressing the convention, said that they had invited Difa-e-Pakistan Council, but no one came to attend the rally. ‘Neither Maulana Sami-ul-Haque nor Hafiz Saeed joined us today,’ he said.
Reportedly, sectarian slogans against followers of the Shia sect were also raised during the rally but no action was taken either – raising a serious question over the National Action Plan (NAP).
Roads leading to Melody and Aabpara area of Capital were entirely blocked and no one was allowed to enter during the rally.
When contacted, SSP Operations Sajid Kiyani said that the parties had obtained NOC from us. ‘We’ve provided the security by deploying police and FC personnel,’ he said.
Additional District Commissioner Abdula Sattar Eisani, when contacted, said that his duty was in Bani Gali and he was away from the site of rally. “The protest was peaceful, and according to my knowledge no banned outfit participated in it. The protest was against atrocities committed by India and pro-Kashmir. That’s why it was allowed,’ he said.
The holding of rally by segments that are known for spreading sectarian hatred under full protection of law while the brutal use of force on opposition exposes the dual standards of the PML-N government.