ISLAMABAD: Even as they mourned the same incident, ideological divides among members of society became visible at National Press Club on Wednesday where civil society led by Awami Workers Party (AWP) found itself in a standoff with Jamaatud Dawa (JUD).

Civil society members had gathered in front of NPC when at around 4 pm, members of JUD arrived and asked those gathered there to join them for funeral prayers of those killed in the attack. Some people expressed reluctance at which JUD members asked them to clear space for them.

Some civil society members offered JUD members candles to light as part of the vigil organised later but the JUD members rejected this offer saying the vigil is a ‘western tradition’. Tempers rose but members of civil society soon cleared the space for the funeral prayer.

Later, polarisation again became visible when the two groups took out rallies from the same spot. Civil society was raising slogans decrying military support for all Jihadist outfits while JUD members praised the army.

“We came to NPC to protest against terrorism and we have our stance that the establishment should not support extremists,” said Aasim Sajjad, President Punjab AWP. “But perhaps JUD did not like that and they started raising slogans in favour of the establishment.”

“It is unfortunate that we are not even united at this moment,” Mosharraf Zaidi, chief executive Alif Ailan, said.

“Ideological people cannot display restrain over minor issues even during such sorrowful time.”

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2014