KARACHI, Oct 11: The Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-i-Nabuwwat has decided not to lodge an FIR with regard to the killing of Mufti Mohammad Jameel Khan and Maulana Nazeer Taunsvi in a terrorist attack in the city on Saturday.
It has also asked government functionaries not to take the trouble to visit Jamia Binnoria or the bereaved for offering condolences. "If they sincerely want to offer condolences, they should get the culprits of the attack arrested and expose their patrons," the organization said.
The policy decision came at an emergency press conference addressed by Secretary General of the Majlis Maulana Azizur Rehman Jullundhari at its office here on Monday.
He was flanked by other Majlis leaders who included Qari Saeedur Rehman, Maulana Akram Toofani, Mufti Muzammil Hussain, Qari Sher Afzal, Qari Mohammad Osman, Maulana Abdul Razzaq, Maulana Ziauddin Azad, Maulana Saeed Ahmad Jalalpuri and Mufti Khalid Mehmood.
Maulana Jullundhari said that Governor Ishratul Ibad and federal Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao had expressed their willingness to visit the Jamia to condole the deaths of the scholars. However, he added, they were advised against and told that the arrest of culprits would be regarded as more than condolences.
In reply to a question, he pointed out that Maulana Habibullah Mukhtar, Maulana Muhammad Yusuf Ludhyanvi, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai and many other scholars of high calibre had been assassinated one after the other.
However, not only the culprits had never been arrested, but investigations and procedures, as well as the government's unwillingness to implement court verdicts brought only disappointment and frustration to the bereaved and sympathizers of the victims.
Therefore, he said, the bereaved and the institution the victims belonged to, had preferred not to pursue the traditional procedures for seeking justice. "The AMTKN will continue to hold the federal and provincial governments responsible for the killing until the assassins are arrested," he declared.
Replying to another question, the Maulana said that possibility of Qadyanis having been involved in the assassination could not be ruled out. He said he did not see an end to the series of assassinations in near future.
He pointed out that killings of religious figures had started a few years back and were continuing with brief or long intervals. In this regard, he named some high-profile figures and said: "It is quite clear that such killings cannot be carried out by an individual in such an organized manner.
It does indicate that an organized gang of terrorists is behind this series of assassinations." Claiming that the authorities do not like to ascertain the objectives of such assassinations, he expressed doubt over the government's sincerity in its commitment to arrest the terrorists.
"That is why, we and the bereaved families decided not to accept their formal condolences," he explained. Maulana Jullundhari, mentioning the cause of the Majlis, said that Mufti Jameel and Maulana Taunsvi had made countering Qadyani religion and checking activities of its followers their mission and motto. They contributed and finally laid down their lives for the cause.
The Maulana declared that the only way for the government to mourn them was to support their mission by refraining from amending the blasphemy law, implementing the laws against Qadyanis and their religion, and effective promulgation of all Islamic laws.
"Assassination of our religious scholars has nothing to do with sectarianism, rather it is aimed at sabotaging the ongoing holy war against sectarianism."
He stressed that instead of implicating Al Qaeda or other groups or individuals, the government should focus its investigations on Qadyanis and other such anti-Islam forces.
"We appeal to the government not to implicate any innocent person in such cases," said the Maulana, adding that only the real culprit be arrested and given exemplary punishment.
He said that it was the government's constitutional obligation to ensure protection to each and every citizen. As such, it must provide safety and security to the ulema belonging to all schools of thought.
Meanwhile, Quran khwani was held on Tuesday morning at Binnori Town for the departed souls of Mufti Jameel and Maulana Taunsvi. After the Quran khwani, Maulana Jullundhari and Dr Abdul Razzaq Iskander paid homage to the late scholars and eulogized the services rendered by them to the cause of Islam.
STRIKE CALL DENIED: An AMTKN spokesman said on Tuesday that neither this organization, nor any other having affiliation with this school of thought, had given a call for strike on Tuesday or some other day against the assassination of Mufti Jameel and Maulana Taunsvi. The spokesman, Athar Azeem, described such reports as rumours which, he said, were being spread by those who wanted to disturb peace in the city.