KARACHI: The banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) on Sunday organised rallies in Karahi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Jacobabad and several other cities and towns of Sindh on the occasion of Yaum-i-Shahdat Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA), observed on the first day of the Islamic calender.

Carrying banners, placards and party flags, ASWJ activists and supporters raised religious slogans while listening to their leaders’ sermons.

The participants in all ASWJ rallies urged the government to declare the 1st of Muharram a public holiday on acco­unt of the Yaum-i-Umar Farooq (RA).

In their sermons, ulema and other religious scholars highlighted the role of the second caliph of Islam, better known as Hazrat Farooq-i-Azam (RA), in reforming society, introducing a perfect judicial system, pursuing uncha­llen­geable governance and expanding the Islamic rule by conquering many countries.

At the rally held at Lasbela Chowk in Karachi, ASWJ leaders Allama Mohammed Ahmad Ludhyanvi, Allama Aurangzeb Farooqui, Mau­lana Rabnawaz Hanafi, Dr Moha­mmed Fayyaz, Maulana Allah Wasaya Sidd­iqui, Allama Taj Moammed Hanafi and Maulana Hammad Madani said the first 10 days of Muharram should be observed as ‘Ashra-i-Hazrat Umar Farooq and Hazrat Hussain (RA)’ in order to discourage sectarianism in the country.

They urged the government to either declare public holidays on the death anniversaries of the first four caliphs of Islam (Khulfa-i-Rashideen) or cancel public holidays on all such occasions.

They condemned the unabated targeted killings in the city and claimed that as many as 40 ASWJ activists had been killed in such attacks over the past 40 days but no culprit could be arrested.

HYDERABAD: In Hyderabad city, ASWJ activists held a march from Ghari­babad Chowk to the local press club.

Speaking to them, ASWJ leaders Allama Abdul Samad Haidri, Syed Asim Ali Shah and Qari Abdul Ghaffar Shakir called for introduction of the Islamic system of governance instead of the Western democracy. “The solution to all problems including sectarianism, terrorism, anarchy, corruption and social ills lie in following in the footsteps of the four caliphs of Islam,” they said.

SUKKUR: ASWJ activists took part in several rallies taken out in various towns of Sukkur and Jacobabad districts on Sunday.

Hafiz Mohammed Yousuf Farooqi, Shabbir Ahmed Banglani, Qari Ghulam Rasool Nomani, Hafiz Moha­mmed Musa Farooqi, Zamir Ahmed Banglani, Faheem Ahmed Banglani and others spoke at one such rally taken out from Madressa Umar Farooq (RA) in Jacobabad city. Maul­ana Hanif Usmani, Muneer Ahmed Haqqani, Qazi Mohammed Anwar Usmani, and other ASWJ leaders spoke at the gathering and called for religious and sectarian harmony across the country.

NAWABSHAH: Participants in a procession taken out in Nawabshah converged on the local press club to hold a congregation on Sunday.

Several ASWJ leaders spoke to the participants and highlighted the political, economic and social reforms introduced by four caliphs of Islam and dem­­anded enforcement of the same poli­cies in Pakistan in order to overcome all crises being faced by the masses.

They appealed to followers of all sects to refrain from delivering pro­v­ocative speeches in order to observe the holy month of Muharram peacefully:

BADIN: ASWJ activists took out a rally from Allahwala Chowk in Tando Bago town and held a congregation outside the local press club.

They condemned the recent bomb attack in Quetta to assassinate Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Mau­lana Fazlur Rehman.

A large number of JUI-F activists took part in the rally.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2014