National

End violence against Rohingya Muslims: JI

September 8, 2017

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LAHORE, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN - 2014/11/21: Siraj-ul-Haq, head of Islamic Political Party Jamat-e-Islami, addressing the congregation during the JI party convention in Lahore. According to media reports, tens of thousands of JI workers and supporters from the country and abroad are attending the three-day convention of Jamat-e-Islami has that started November 21 to 23 at the foot of Minaar-e-Pakistan monument. (Photo by Rana Sajid Hussain/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Siraj-ul-Haq said that the violence against Rohingya community in Myanmar should end immediately.

Addressing a rally in Islamabad’s Red Zone on Friday, JI chief said that the world should not remain silent but raise its voice against the persecution of innocent Muslims in Burma.

“God has directed us to help the oppressed,” he remarked, adding, “We have gathered here to awaken people’s collective conscience.”

Urging the need for the international organisations to take a stance on the matter, he said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation should immediately summon a session on the persecution of Rohingya community.

On the protest, Siraj said, “We have not harmed the police or any property.”

Religious organisations, political parties, students and members of the civil society are holding a demonstration in the Aabpara area of the federal capital to protest the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

The protesters demanded to march onto the diplomatic enclave and remove the obstructions in their path.

Negotiations are ongoing between the local administration the protestors.

The capital’s administration blocked all entry routes into the Red Zone to avert any potential move by the rally’s participants to enter the Red Zone, which houses the Diplomatic Enclave as well.

Sources said the Islamabad Police had deployed around 7,500 personnel to secure the rally, which included officials of Rangers and Frontier Constabulary. The main procession will be taken out by the Jamaat-e-Islami, whose chief Siraj-ul-Haq is expected to lead the rally.

Earlier Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, in a statement, urged protesters to remain peaceful, saying the sanctity of the Red Zone should be respected.

“Pakistan’s standing in the world will be hurt in case of any incident of violence in the Red Zone,” said Iqbal, adding that it is Pakistan’s national duty to safeguard diplomatic missions.