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THE VISIT TO INDIA BY A HIGH-POWERED delegation of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), led by the partyâs chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has drawn much flak from the outlawed jihadi organisations who bitterly opposed it. The visit will be reciprocated by a delegation of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, the parent Deobandi organisation in the undivided subcontinent. Observers term the JUI (F) visit significant since the party since the days of the Taliban is considered very close to the hard-line Deobandi jihadi outfits like Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad. The visit has also been squarely denounced by the Wahhabi jihadi outfit, Lashkar-i-Taiba which now calls itself Dawat ul Irshad.
| They probably have a hard time remembering what their name is from day to do... |
The Lashkar and other Jihadi outfits are also opposed to the thaw between India and Pakistan and consider these efforts at breaking the ice synonymous with sabotaging âjihad-e-Kashmirâ. The Lashkar, in particular, arguably the most strident group on the issue, has publicly condemned last monthâs Jamaat-i-Islamiâs reception to visiting Indian parliamentarians.
âJihad is the only solution to the Kashmir problem,â said Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, chief of Dawat ul Irshad, the parent party of LeT.
| Hafiz says the same thing every time he opens his mouth. Jihad is the solution to all problems... |
Lashkar has shifted all its operations to Muzzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir since the group was banned by General Pervez Musharraf in January last year. Interestingly, the JI backed Hizbul Mujahideen has remained silent on the issue. Sources said it appears that in a âtacticalâ move the religious parties have decided to distance themselves from these groups that have increasingly come under pressure from the government as well as the United States. âThese parties are basically political parties, though they use religion to keep themselves in the business. For them it is important to show flexibility in the face of changing circumstances. In any case, before the advent of the Taliban, the JUI (F) was most amenable to taking a rational line on relations with India,â says an observer.
| "Rational" in Pakistan is a rather elastic term... |
The chief of JUI, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other leaders in the delegation like Hafiz Hussain Ahmed will meet Hindu and Sikh leaders, besides visiting religious seminaries including Sikhismâs holiest âGolden Templeâ. The invitation for the visit was extended by the chief of JUI-Hind Maulana Asad Madni to Maulana Fazlur Rehman. âSince Maulana Madni will be our host, he will decide our programme and whom we can or will meet,â Rehman said. A few weeks ago, the JI hosted a reception in honour of the visiting delegation of Indian parliamentarians. The move was highly welcomed in India. It also evoked much interest since JI activists had protested very sharply when Indian prime minister A B Vajpayee. âWe know the religious parties have their own agenda as they are in power politics, but our aim is jihad and we donât believe in any ifs or buts,â said the leader of a defunct Islamist group. Most observers think this could be the beginning of a split between religio-political parties and the militant groups that have no political presence. |