LAHORE: The Punjab government has banned the long march organised by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for today.
According to details, SIC, an alliance of the Sunni school of thought, planned to embark on a long march from the Darbar Bari Imam in Islamabad to the Data Darbar in Lahore today at 10am. Before starting the long march, SIC also arranged the Khatm-e-Chehlum at the Bari Imam shrine for the martyred who lost their lives in the blast at the Baba Fareed Gung Shakir shrine in Pakpattan.
On Saturday, the provincial government refused to grant permission for the long march. The government also took control of the transport booked for the event and stopped caravans departing from different cities to attend the march.
Haji Hanif Tayyab, central general secretary of SIC, said that all arrangements were completed and the central leadership had reached Islamabad for participating in the long march, but the Punjab government refused to give permission for the event.
He condemned the government’s attitude and said that they were organising a peaceful march for the elimination of terrorism, protection of shrines and places of worship, inflation and the poor law and order situation. Shahid Gardazi, member of the media committee, said that all arrangements to welcome participants of the long march had been completed in the provincial metropolis.
They had set up reception camps at Data Darbar and Shahdara, while a large number of religious workers were ready to join the caravan. Nawaz Kharal, central information secretary of the Jamaat Ahle Sunnat said they would organise the long march at every cost.
