News
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Thousands rally in twin cities to protest Ashura incident* Friday protests end peacefully
* Rally taken out from Lal Masjid in Islamabad
* 35 accused in Rawalpindi incident identified, 20 arrested
RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: To protest the Ashura incidents, thousands rallied in the twin cities after the Friday prayers. The protesters chanted slogans against the miscreants who burnt a seminary and adjoining markets.
Despite high tension and strong resentment, the protests ended peacefully. However, a small group gathered at the seminary that was attacked on Muharram 10, they raised slogans and pelted stones at the police. Police used baton charge and tear gas to disperse them.
Maulana Ashraf Ali led Friday prayers outside the seminary accompanied by Amir of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) Maulana Mohammad Ahmad Ludhianvi and other prominent Ulema. Thousands of people and officials of the Rawalpindi administration and the police offered the Friday prayers there.
Maulana Ashraf Ali in his sermon asked the people to disperse peacefully after the prayers and announced that no rally would be taken out. That gave a sigh of relief of the police and administration as the mammoth crowd dispersed in an orderly manner.
Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi said they were peaceful people and would not take any step that led to violence or loss of property. However, he demanded the government to identify those involved in the attack on the seminary and punishment them. In Islamabad, a rally was taken out, on the call of Wafaqul Madaris and ASWJ led by Maulana Masoodur Rehman, from Lal Masjid which ended at the National Press Club. It was attended by students of seminaries in Islamabad and surrounding areas. Addressing the participants, ASWJ Deputy Secretary General Maulana Rehman condemned the Rawalpindi incident. He said accordance with the decision of the ASWJ they would remain peaceful. He said the government had deployed army to hide its failures. He demanded the arrest of culprits, imposition of ban on all mourning processions and compensation for traders and the seminary.
Meanwhile, in view of the danger of violent protests after the Friday prayers, strict security arrangements were put in place in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The Rangers were deployed to support the police, while the Pakistan Army remained on standby. Most of the link roads between the twin cities were also closed causing inconvenience and hardships for motorists.
Schools, shops and restaurants were closed in the garrison city while roads were deserted in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Special security arrangements were made for imambargahs.
“Extra police personnel were deployed in sensitive areas and around imambargahs,” a police official said.
Police used containers to block roads in the twin cites, while the roads leading to the Diplomatic Enclave were sealed.
Meanwhile, the investigation team probing the Raja Bazaar incident has identified 35 accused with the help of recorded videos out of which 20 have been arrested so far.
A police source said the police was conducting raids in different areas of Rawalpindi and other cities to nab the remaining 15 perpetrators. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk