| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| The talk about banning the Jamaat |
| 2004-07-18 |
| By Sarfaraz Ahmed The rivalry between the MQM and the Jamaat-e-Islami appears to have taken on a new dimension with Governor Ishratul Ibad having said on Thursday that the government is seriously examining all possible repercussions if the Jamaat is banned. He said this after the alleged confessions of doctor brothers Akmal Waheed and Arshad Waheed, who are accused of abetting suspects in various terrorist activities, including the June 10 attack on the convoy of the Karachi corps commander, that they are associated with the Jamaat. The seemingly calculated move of the governor, who is the former convener of the MQM, is the beginning of another war of words with the Jamaat, which includeds another demand that the government prohibit the Jamaat "to protect the lives and property of citizens and ensure law and order" in Karachi. "The Jamaat-e-Islami has intimate links with the Al Qaeda terrorist gang and it reportedly masterminded terrorist acts in Karachi. It is destroying Karachi through its terrorism," the MQM is quoted as saying. After last month's ban on the entry into Karachi of Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Jamiatul Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the city had regained peace and tranquility, and that people heaved a sigh of relief. The Jamaat-e-Islami has criticised the MQM's talk of a ban as "the wishful thinking of those whose sole aim is to appease the Americans." The Jamaat's Karachi Amir Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui said his party was "the main obstacle in the fulfillment of the designs of America and its local agents", and that the party would not succumb to the government's pressure. The Jamaat claims the governor is involved in a number of serious crimes and had cases registered against him. But what is more significant about the MQM outburst is its "disclosure" that Jamaat Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who also heads the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, had "escaped" from Pakistan after the disclosures made by Dr Akmal Waheed and Dr Arshad Waheed. According to it, his escape is a cause for concern even for his members and supporters. But party members told me that Qazi had gone to London to attend a weeklong conference of Islamic scholars, and has returned to the country. They gave me his cell phone and suggested I speak to him on his way to Nowshera after leaving Islamabad. I spoke to him and asked when he was coming to Karachi. His answer was that he had no visit scheduled. |
| Posted by:Fred |