Govt refusal to hold Wilayat Convention challenged

Exclusive purpose, petitioner claims, of convention is to gather followers peacefully for religious purposes

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Lahore District Coordination Officer (DCO) to address a petitioner’s grievance for not being allowed permission by the government to organise the National Wilayat Convention at Minar-e-Pakistan.

LHC Justice Shahid Mubeen commenced proceedings on a petition filed by Syed Alamdar Hussain Shah Bukhari through Advocate Rabbiya Bajwa.

The LHC justice directed the petitioner to visit the DCO office on Saturday (today) for the redressal of his grievance. The Lahore DCO was also directed to address the grievance of the petitioner, strictly in accordance with the law.

Advocate Rabbiya Bajwa told the court that the petitioner is the convener of an organisation which serves to protect the interests of the Shia community by holding occasional congregations, conventions and conferences.

In this regard, ‘Wilayat Day’ (the birthday of the Islamic Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) is being celebrated by the community all over the world. The petitioner claims to have every right to organise such congregations in accordance with the law.

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The advocate argued that the petitioner submitted an application before respondent Lahore Deputy Commissioner, seeking permission for holding National Wilayat Convention on August 18 at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore.

The exclusive purpose, the petitioner claims, of the convention is to gather followers of the Shia faith peacefully for religious purposes. Reportedly, the gathering will also hold a rally to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people in light of the renewed repression of the people in Indian-held Kashmir.

The advocate contended that the aforementioned respondent, without issuing any notice or giving an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner, declined the application on merely a hypothetical basis and without any justification.

She submitted that a letter was issued to them in which the respondents have acted on mere conjectural and hypothetical basis while holding that some rivalry exists between two factions of the same sect, whereas such reason for rejection is altogether non-existent. “Likewise, the factum of so-called allegations or being involved in anti-state activities through terrorist funding also does not exist.” She asserted that such serious allegations on the community of the petitioner are without any basis and non-existent as the community has neither factions nor sects whereas it is otherwise involved in religious activities. “Hence valuable rights of the petitioner cannot be snatched away on mere conjectural reasons which are non-existent.”

She further argued that Article 25 of the Pakistani constitution has expressly held that all the citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of the law and that equality is to be maintained amongst equals. “Under Article 25 all the litigants, are entitled to avail themselves of the same rights to practice and profess religion as are available to others without any discrimination.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2019.