Maintenance of peace: Difa-e-Pakistan, AML defy Section 144

The conference that will start at 10am and continue till 5pm, addressed by DPC leaders

ISLAMABAD: Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) under the banner of Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC), a group of right-wing parties, has announced that it will hold its conference at Hockey Ground Aapara in the federal capital on Friday, despite the imposition of Section 144 in the capital territory.

The section has also been imposed in the Rawalpindi district where Sheikh Rashid had announced holding a public gathering on Friday.

ASWJ spokesman Hafiz Oneeb Farooqui told The Express Tribune that the ‘Shuda-e-Islam-o-Istehkam-e-Pakistan’ conference will be held as per its schedule -- in Aabpara in the hockey ground on Friday.

There were reports that the NOC which was granted by the ICT administration to the ASWJ had been withdrawn after the imposition of Section 144 in the capital territory.

However, Hafiz Oneeb said he had no information of the cancellation of the NOC and his party would hold the conference according to schedule.

He said the conference is not against the government or any government institute, rather it is being held against the policies of India, Iran and America. The representatives of some other parties that are part of the DPC when contacted said as the ASWJ is the host of the event so they will follow the decision of the ASWJ.

Meanwhile, in a statement the ASWJ released on Thursday it was stated that “today’s (Friday) event would prove to be a milestone to institute peace”.

It was also maintained that the head of ASWJ, Allama Ahmed Ludhianvi, has given a call to workers to attend the conference.

“The tension along the Line of Control (LoC) is increasing and this phenomenon can’t be ignored. We are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the armed forces which has already given a lot of sacrifices,” maintained the statement.

The conference that will start at 10 in the morning and continue till 5 in the evening would be addressed by DPC leaders.

Meanwhile, representatives of the AML which is headed by Sheikh Rashid have also announced to go ahead with their plan to hold a public meeting at Lal Haveli, Rawalpindi on Friday despite the imposition of Section 144 in the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2016.