ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Saturday declared Lal Masjid’s Shuhada Foundation an “unregistered entity” and barred it from holding politically motivated events because it is illegal to conduct such programmes in government mosques.

The administration was responding to a request by the Shuhada Foundation to hold an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the Lal Masjid operation. The response was sent to the foundation by Additional Deputy Commissioner General Abdul Sattar Essani, and said that Lal Mashid is a property of the Auqaf Department, ICT, and such events cannot be held there.

On May 15, the foundation had applied to the Islamabad deputy commissioner for a no-objection certificate to observe the 10th anniversary of the military crackdown on Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa on July 7.

A senior ICT official told Dawn that observing anniversaries was contrary to the beliefs of Lal Masjid’s administration, and the whole programme on July 7 is likely to be politically motivated.

“The clerics of Lal Masjid have always opposed religious congregations and rallies by other sects, decrying that remembering deaths after 40 days was against the spirit of Islam. Now they want to remember the deceased of the operation after 10 years,” the official said.

“The management of the Shuhada Foundation wants to hold a programme against the government in a government-owned mosque, and nobody knows, they might take out rallies after this programme as well,” the official added.

At the time it applied for the NOC, the foundation had announced that the conference would be a milestone towards the implementation of Sharia in the country and a referendum towards the imposition of Islam in the country.

Mr Essani’s response stated that the Lal Masjid is registered with Auqaf, and therefore only allowed worship-related activities.

The response also warned the foundation of conducting any political or religious activities since it is not a registered entity and said violating the order could lead to strict legal action. Copies of the administration’s notification have been forwarded to police officials and the personal secretary to the federal interior minister.

Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Mushtaq Ahmed said the Shuhada Foundation is not registered with the ICT administration’s relevant departments but “I cannot say if they are registered with the SECP or any other department”.

The foundation was formed in 2008 and is headed by Umme Hassan, the wife of Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz.

Its president, Supreme Court advocate Tariq Asad, rejected the ICT notification and said the foundation is a registered trust, but did not specify where the entity was registered.

In a statement, the foundation has said it will go on with the July 7 event as planned.

Mr Asad said he would challenge the ICT’s decision in court after Eid. The next course of action will finalised by the Shuhada Foundation in a meeting after the Eid holidays.

The foundation’s spokesperson, meanwhile, said they were being victimised, as all other religious and political parties were allowed to hold such events, even in government-owned mosques.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2017