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It's business as usual for JuD despite ban - Middle East Transparent
Amir Mir
Saturday 10 January 2009
LAHORE: Despite having confirmed that Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani national, the authorities in Islamabad seem to have taken half hearted measures to enforce the ban the United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) had imposed on the Jamaatul Daawa (JuD) while declaring it a terrorist organization on December 10, 2008 for its alleged involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks.
One month after the USNC ban which was followed by a similar action taken by Islamabad, the black-and-white flag of the JuD still flutters high over its Muridke headquarters, putting a big question mark on the seriousness of the government to proceed against the proscribed organisation. The government had launched a crackdown on the JuD in the second week of December after the UNSC decided to place four JuD and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) leaders on a list of terrorists subject to sanctions, including the JuD ameer Prof Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and the chief operational commander of the Lashkar Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. Pakistan was bound to take the action due to the fact that Islamabad, being a signatory to the UN charter, was under obligation to implement the decisions of the world body. A month later, however, the steps taken against the JuD seem half hearted to say the least and merely give an illusion of compliance with the restrictions that were supposed to be slapped on the banned organisation.
To begin with, despite being proscribed by the government, the JuD continues to run a vast network of hundreds of schools, colleges, healthcare centres, hospitals, as well as religious seminaries across Pakistan, without facing any restrictions. The sprawling Muridke headquarters of the JuD on the outskirts of Lahore and spanning over 200 acres, is still open for all practical purposes and bustles with activities. The Markaz is considered to be the nerve centre of the JuD where all of its educational, organizational and militant activities are planned. The building is still being guarded by the JuD activists despite claims by the organisation that the Markaz premises was only being used to impart education [since it houses several schools and colleges] and to provide medical services [as it also houses a huge hospital].
The much-trumpeted government crackdown against the JuD leadership seems to have been relaxed already in view of the friendly treatment being meted out to Hafiz Saeed, his family members and his associates who had been placed under house arrest after the group was banned. Twelve JuD leaders who were restricted to their homes for a period of one month by the Punjab government which now finds it difficult to keep them confined to their houses. As a matter of fact, hardly three days after his house arrest, Hafiz Saeed was allowed to leave his Johar Town residence in Lahore and travel to a nearby mosque to offer the Friday prayers.
The friendly treatment being meted out to Hafiz Saeed’s family members can be gauged from the fact that there is no restriction on the movements of his son Talha Saeed who continues to lead the Friday prayers at Jamia Qadsia Mosque in Chauburji area of Lahore which is also used as the second headquarters of the JuD. Similarly, despite a government ban on the statements and the activities of the JuD leaders, most of them are moving freely and even resorted to take out a public rally on the Mall in Lahore. The rally, which was meant to condemn the banning of the organization as a terrorist group, was led by Yahya Mujahid, the central secretary information of the JuD who was one of the 12 leaders supposed to have been placed under house arrest. Hundreds of the JuD activists riding over 50 ambulances marched from Nasir Bagh to Lower Mall up to the Lahore Press Club, carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands. Quite interestingly, heavy contingents of the Punjab police escorted the JuD rally, taken out with prior government permission.
At the same time, the JuD continues to use print and electronic media despite a government directive to the contrary because of its being a banned organization. The most glaring instance is that of Abdullah Muntazir, the JuD spokesman who continues to spit venom. In a January 6 interview, Abdullah literally threatened the Pakistan government if it decides to act against the JuD, saying it would be a big mistake on the part of the government. "Hafiz Saeed has followers all over Pakistan and it is not possible for the government of Pakistan to even think about handing him over to India," Muntazir said.
Similarly, the Pakistan government has not yet confiscated the weapons, even those licensed, from JuD activists, as required by the UNSC resolution No. 1267. However, an interior ministry spokesman refuted impression that the federal government was taking half hearted measures to contain the activities of the JuD. He said besides placing the top leadership of the Jamaat under house arrest, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency has also shut down both the Urdu and the English language websites of the organisation. However, to yet another query, he said action is being taken to close down the Urdu-language weekly mouthpiece of the JuD - Ghazva – which keeps hitting news stands despite carrying hate material. Weekly Ghazva had treated the Mumbai attacks as its lead story, describing the gory incident as a ’historic victory of the Muslim warriors’. He further conceded that the government was not in a position to shut down medical centres and schools and colleges being run by the JuD since they have not been found involved in any objectionable activity.
With all these activities going on, a war of words has already begun between the federal and the Punjab governments in a bid to shift the blame on the shoulders of each other for failing to fully enforce the ban on the activities of the Jamaatul Daawa. The federal government declared last week that it was up to the Punjab government to take action against the banned organization. Talking to the media in Islamabad on Jan 4, information minister and PPP leader Sherry Rehman said any action by the government must follow certain procedures. She said the proof against the JuD has already been shared with the Punjab government which had subsequently assured that it would launch an effective crackdown to stop the JuD. She, however, added that if the action against the JuD seems half hearted, the responsibility rests with the Punjab government.
However, reacting to Sherry Rehman’s remarks, an official Punjab government spokesman Pervez Rashid said that the Punjab government had acted against the banned group with full force by putting five of its top leaders under house arrest, sealing 50 offices of the JuD and by taking over 20 dispensaries and 10 schools it used to run. "Necessary measures are also being taken to assume control of the central headquarters of the Jamaatul Daawa at Muridke," he added.
amir.mir1969@gmail.com
Amir Mir
Saturday 10 January 2009
LAHORE: Despite having confirmed that Ajmal Kasab is a Pakistani national, the authorities in Islamabad seem to have taken half hearted measures to enforce the ban the United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) had imposed on the Jamaatul Daawa (JuD) while declaring it a terrorist organization on December 10, 2008 for its alleged involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks.
One month after the USNC ban which was followed by a similar action taken by Islamabad, the black-and-white flag of the JuD still flutters high over its Muridke headquarters, putting a big question mark on the seriousness of the government to proceed against the proscribed organisation. The government had launched a crackdown on the JuD in the second week of December after the UNSC decided to place four JuD and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) leaders on a list of terrorists subject to sanctions, including the JuD ameer Prof Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and the chief operational commander of the Lashkar Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. Pakistan was bound to take the action due to the fact that Islamabad, being a signatory to the UN charter, was under obligation to implement the decisions of the world body. A month later, however, the steps taken against the JuD seem half hearted to say the least and merely give an illusion of compliance with the restrictions that were supposed to be slapped on the banned organisation.
To begin with, despite being proscribed by the government, the JuD continues to run a vast network of hundreds of schools, colleges, healthcare centres, hospitals, as well as religious seminaries across Pakistan, without facing any restrictions. The sprawling Muridke headquarters of the JuD on the outskirts of Lahore and spanning over 200 acres, is still open for all practical purposes and bustles with activities. The Markaz is considered to be the nerve centre of the JuD where all of its educational, organizational and militant activities are planned. The building is still being guarded by the JuD activists despite claims by the organisation that the Markaz premises was only being used to impart education [since it houses several schools and colleges] and to provide medical services [as it also houses a huge hospital].
The much-trumpeted government crackdown against the JuD leadership seems to have been relaxed already in view of the friendly treatment being meted out to Hafiz Saeed, his family members and his associates who had been placed under house arrest after the group was banned. Twelve JuD leaders who were restricted to their homes for a period of one month by the Punjab government which now finds it difficult to keep them confined to their houses. As a matter of fact, hardly three days after his house arrest, Hafiz Saeed was allowed to leave his Johar Town residence in Lahore and travel to a nearby mosque to offer the Friday prayers.
The friendly treatment being meted out to Hafiz Saeed’s family members can be gauged from the fact that there is no restriction on the movements of his son Talha Saeed who continues to lead the Friday prayers at Jamia Qadsia Mosque in Chauburji area of Lahore which is also used as the second headquarters of the JuD. Similarly, despite a government ban on the statements and the activities of the JuD leaders, most of them are moving freely and even resorted to take out a public rally on the Mall in Lahore. The rally, which was meant to condemn the banning of the organization as a terrorist group, was led by Yahya Mujahid, the central secretary information of the JuD who was one of the 12 leaders supposed to have been placed under house arrest. Hundreds of the JuD activists riding over 50 ambulances marched from Nasir Bagh to Lower Mall up to the Lahore Press Club, carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands. Quite interestingly, heavy contingents of the Punjab police escorted the JuD rally, taken out with prior government permission.
At the same time, the JuD continues to use print and electronic media despite a government directive to the contrary because of its being a banned organization. The most glaring instance is that of Abdullah Muntazir, the JuD spokesman who continues to spit venom. In a January 6 interview, Abdullah literally threatened the Pakistan government if it decides to act against the JuD, saying it would be a big mistake on the part of the government. "Hafiz Saeed has followers all over Pakistan and it is not possible for the government of Pakistan to even think about handing him over to India," Muntazir said.
Similarly, the Pakistan government has not yet confiscated the weapons, even those licensed, from JuD activists, as required by the UNSC resolution No. 1267. However, an interior ministry spokesman refuted impression that the federal government was taking half hearted measures to contain the activities of the JuD. He said besides placing the top leadership of the Jamaat under house arrest, the Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency has also shut down both the Urdu and the English language websites of the organisation. However, to yet another query, he said action is being taken to close down the Urdu-language weekly mouthpiece of the JuD - Ghazva – which keeps hitting news stands despite carrying hate material. Weekly Ghazva had treated the Mumbai attacks as its lead story, describing the gory incident as a ’historic victory of the Muslim warriors’. He further conceded that the government was not in a position to shut down medical centres and schools and colleges being run by the JuD since they have not been found involved in any objectionable activity.
With all these activities going on, a war of words has already begun between the federal and the Punjab governments in a bid to shift the blame on the shoulders of each other for failing to fully enforce the ban on the activities of the Jamaatul Daawa. The federal government declared last week that it was up to the Punjab government to take action against the banned organization. Talking to the media in Islamabad on Jan 4, information minister and PPP leader Sherry Rehman said any action by the government must follow certain procedures. She said the proof against the JuD has already been shared with the Punjab government which had subsequently assured that it would launch an effective crackdown to stop the JuD. She, however, added that if the action against the JuD seems half hearted, the responsibility rests with the Punjab government.
However, reacting to Sherry Rehman’s remarks, an official Punjab government spokesman Pervez Rashid said that the Punjab government had acted against the banned group with full force by putting five of its top leaders under house arrest, sealing 50 offices of the JuD and by taking over 20 dispensaries and 10 schools it used to run. "Necessary measures are also being taken to assume control of the central headquarters of the Jamaatul Daawa at Muridke," he added.
amir.mir1969@gmail.com
