LAHORE: Various charity organisations and seminaries defied the Punjab government’s ban on collection of hides during Eidul Azha, Pakistan Today has observed.
The workers of proscribed organisations such as Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan, Sipah e Sahaba and Tehreek-e-Jaffria Pakistan were also seen using loudspeakers in streets, and on the roads, for the collection of hides of sacrificial animals and donations in Lahore and other districts across the province. They also set up camps for this purpose.
In Muzaffargarh district, some workers of a banned outfit were seen storing hides in godowns, seminaries and even mosques whereas prayer leaders in seminaries of these outfits also violated the restriction on the use of loudspeakers and urged the masses to give donations and hides to them in violation of the ban.
A person sitting in the Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD) camp said, “We have no problem in Pakistan and the whole world recognises the transparency with which we do our welfare work.”
According to details, the Punjab government had imposed a ban on the collection of hides by unregistered seminaries, banned outfits, mosques, trusts and other organisations. Only those seminaries were allowed to undertake the activity, which were registered with the Punjab Industries Department. The government had sought details of the banned organisations from the provincial home department, and those which were on the watch list were alerted to the public at large advising them to stop giving donations and hides of sacrificial animals to these organisations.
A No-Objection Certificate (NOC) and clearance from Special Branch of Police was a must for all the seminaries, mosques and trusts for collecting the hides of sacrificial animals and the district administration and police were given the task to ensure the ban. The government had also asked those seminaries and organisations, which were allowed to collect hides, to submit details of the hides and the amounts generated from their sales after Eidul Azha.
A sub-inspector said that the police had launched a crackdown on seminaries which were collecting hides illegally and arrested 15 members of proscribed outfits, besides confiscating 50 hides from their possession.
He said that a case has been registered against them under section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code and further investigation had been started. Those violating the ban on the use of loudspeakers will be tried under the Punjab Sound Systems (Regulations) Act 2015, he added.
In a statement, the Lahore police said that they had arrested over 100 members of various charity organisations and seminaries for illegal collection of hides during Eidul Azha in the city. The arrests were made in various parts of the city after citizens filed complaints that many unregistered organisations were collecting hides.
A police officer said that the district intelligence committee had granted permission to 108 out of 186 organisations to collect hides after they submitted required applications. He further added that 73 cases had been registered with various police stations against members of some charity organisations and banned outfits under relevant laws.
Meanwhile, one-wheeling, speeding, rash and negligent driving, acrobatics, mistreating and misbehaving with families in other vehicles and under-age driving remained unchecked during Eid days.
Police remained a silent spectator and remained busy in collecting Eidi at various police stations.
However, the police said that they had launched a special drive against one wheeling during Eid days, and parents of the motorists, whose vehicles were impounded, were called and informed about the violations committed by their children. They added that the parents were asked to give an undertaking that they would prevent their children from being involved in such activities in the future.
The police also requested magistrates to impose maximum fine on the motorists, when they approached them for the release of their impounded vehicles.
