GILGIT, Jan 13: Following the government’s decision to ban some sectarian organizations, the fate of Northern Areas Deputy Chief Executive Fida Mohammad Nashad, advisers Imran Nadeem and Sheikh Ghulam Haider Hajfi, and three other members of Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) is unclear.

Fida Nashad contested the NALC elections in November 1999 as an independent candidate and subsequently joined Tehrik-i-Jaferia Pakistan to become deputy chief executive as a result of a deal with the TJP.

Imran Nadeem and Sheikh Ghulam Haider Najfi won the NALC elections on TJP tickets in Shigar and Nagar-II respectively and were made advisers to the NAs Chief Executive Abbas Sarfraz Khan in August 2001.

Gilgit District Council Chairman Kalbe Ali won as a TJP candidate from Nagar constituency.

There are more than a dozen TJP district councillors in Gilgit and Baltistan.

Now, as the government has banned TJP, it is not clear whether the Tehrik’s councillors will be allowed to hold public offices.

Legal experts are of the view that after the banning of TJP and other sectarian organizations, the TJP councillors will have to resign from their public offices or shun their affiliation with it, as they cannot remain members of a banned party.

However, there is no Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) councillor in the Northern Areas.

When contacted, Fida Nashad said that he had contested the elections as an independent candidate and he would continue to function under the Legal Framework Order.

He said the decision would not be applicable on NALC members if they did not participate in TJP activities.

He said that he and other NALC members were bound to follow the government’s decision and refused to comment on the ban.

He said that he had not discussed the situation with Northern Areas Chief Executive Abbas Sarfraz Khan.

MIXED REACTION: Following the imposition of ban of TJP, SSP, Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-i-Mohammadi and other sectarian parties, leaders of TJP and SSP have discontinued their routine activities.