ISLAMABAD: The capital administration on Wednesday banned the entry of 14 ulema from various schools of thought in order to avoid a law and order situation and the loss of public life and property.

A ban was also imposed on the activities of 12 other ulema who are residing in the capital.

According to the order, these ulema will not enter, reside or remain in the capital for the next two months. According to the reports, these religious scholars were known for making inflammatory speeches.

The order was issued by District Magistrate Islamabad Mohammad Hamza Shafqat based on reports received from the Special Branch and the Islamabad police.

Five ulema each from the Deobandi and Shia schools of thought and four from the Barelvi sect have been banned from entering the capital.

Those from the Deobandi school of thought are Hafiz Mohammad Saddique from Wah Cantt, Allama Tahir Ashraf who is president of the banned Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jammat (ASWJ) Lahore, Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqui who is president ASWJ Sindh, Maulana Mohammad Ilyas Ghumman from ASWJ Sargodha and Maulana Abdul Khaliq Rehmani, Kabirwala in Punjab.

Those from the Shia school of thought are Allama Zakir Syed Maqbool Hassan from Chakwal, Hafiz Tassaduq Hussain from Lahore, Allama Mohammad Iqbal from Chichawatni, Allama Ghazanfar Taunsvi from Bahawalpur and Allama Jaffar Jatoi from Lahore.

The ulema from the Barelvi school of thought are Maulana Mohammad Yousaf Rizvi from Tokey Wali Sarkar Sargodha, Maulana Khadim Hussein Rizvi, emir of Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan, Pir Irfan Al-Mashadi from Lahore and Dr Asif Ashraf Jalali from Lahore.

The capital administration and police are also contacting their counterparts in the districts where these ulema are residing, requesting them to keep an eye on them and avoid their entry into the capital.

Officials said police teams are conducting patrols and have been deployed at entry points.

They have been directed to intercept and arrest these ulema if they are spotted in the capital.

Vigilance has been mounted around the 12 ulema who reside in capital.

They have been informed by the magistrate and the police and have been directed to reduce their activities.

They were asked to submit affidavits and are required to inform the police before any activity and to get prior permission from the capital administration.

The 12 local ulema whose activities were banned include four from the Deobandi school of thought, four Shia, three Barelvi and one Ahl-i-Hadith.

The ulema from the Deobandi school of thought include Maulana Abdul Aziz from Madressah Jamia Hafsa G-7/2, Maulana Abdul Razzaq Haideri who is khateeb of Masjid Abdullah bin Masood in G-9, Abdul Rahman Muaviah who is khateeb of Masjid Rahmani in Aabpara and Qari Ahsanullah, the khateeb of Masjid Qasmia in F-8/3.

The banned Shia ulema include Allama Sheikh Mohsin Ali Najfi, the principal of Jamia Ahl-i-Bait in F-7/4, Agha Shifa Najfi, who is the khateeb of Imambargah Imamul Sadiq in G-9/2, Allama Ameen Shaheedi, the leader of the Majlis-i-Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, MWM general secretary.

The banned Barelvi ulema include Maulana Prof Zaffar Iqbal Jalali, who is the khateeb of Noor-i-Madina in I-8/4, Allama Liaquat Ali Rizvi, president of Sunni Tehreek Masjid and the khateeb at the Masjid Bilal in Barma Town and Maulana Mohammad Imtiaz Hussain Kazmi who is the khateeb of Masjid Hanifa Ghousia, Bari Imam.

Allama Mohammad Younis Qureshi, the khateeb of Masjidul Furqan in G-9/4 was also banned from conducting activities in the capital.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2018