LAHORE:
The Jamaatud Dawa (JD), which has been outlawed as a group that supports terrorist organisations since December 2008, has been holding regular Fajr gatherings in the city this Ramazan to solicit and collect donations for its activities, The Express Tribune has learnt.
JD was banned after the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008 that was blamed on Lashkar-i-Taiba (LT). Its chief Hafiz Saeed insists that JD is a welfare organisation with no links to militant groups, but according to the United Nations, the Jamaat is a front for the Lashkar.
And on August 5 this year, the Interior Ministry issued a list of 25 religious and welfare groups that are not allowed to take part in alms collection activities in Ramazan – usually the most rewarding time of the year for collecting charity.
In previous years, the JD set up camps all over the city soliciting donations during Ramazan. This year, the group has been arranging speeches by Hafiz Saeed at various places and advertising them via poster, pamphlet and mass text messages. Hizbut Tahrir, another group banned from collecting charity in Ramazan, has also put up banners on The Mall.
On August 7, the JD organised such a gathering at Shahdara Stadium where Hafiz Saeed asked the audience for donations to help people affected by floods. Another was held yesterday at a marriage hall in Moon Market, Gulshan-i-Ravi.
Saeed started his speech on Sunday with a condemnation of India for “trying to flood Pakistan by deliberately releasing water in its rivers” and ended it with a plea for donations. He accused India of trying to flood Pakistani agricultural land and destroy thousands of acres of standing crops, and the government of letting India get away with it.
He said the JD had organised a special programme to give people affected by floods a brighter Eid. He said JD volunteers were active in flooded areas arranging for meals at sehar and iftar and distributing food and medicine. New clothes were being sent to the flooded areas for Eid. He said thousands of people left shelterless in Khoski, Shakurabad, Diplu and Golarchi awaited aid and appealed to citizens to donate to the cause.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2011.
COMMENTS (6)
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@Hamza Balouch: "Its true Indian water reach in Pakistan as a flood few week back, its better to ask youself about your question!"
The floods are in Sind not in Punjab where India can release waters to.
Sometimes you accuse India of starving Pakistan of water other times of flooding it - even when the rains have been on Pakistani land. Incidentally there were severe floods in India as well. Ypu need to get over your conspiracy theories.
Allot of baned things happening in Pakistan... lets appreciate their good efforts.
It also on record, what ever they done in the help for Flood victims and earthquke victims... No other NGO done that.
Lobe: Its true Indian water reach in Pakistan as a flood few week back, its better to ask youself about your question!
lashkar e taiba had been banned due its terrorist activities inside and outside Pakistan. The organisation continued its activities with change of its name, thus its net work remained intact. The government, not only, is not serious about combating the terrorist outfits rather in many cases, indirectly and sometimes directly support these organisations financially and through other means.The Punjab Government gives from its budget 85 million every year to JUD; new version of lashkar i Taiba. Thousands of innocent people have been killed in terrorist attacks not a single terrorists has convicted. Witnesses have genuine fear to testify in courts against the terrorists. Many witnesses and complainants, in criminal cases against Malik Ihaque, an accused in dozens of murder cases, have been killed during the trial, consequently he has been acquitted in most of the cases, for want of sufficient evidence. It is pertinent to mention that during the period, said Malik Ishaque was in jail, the Punjab government had been paying a monthly allowance to his family, presently the man is enlarge on bail, the same government has provided him police guards for his security. In these circumstance the terrorism is very likely to continue because, for some these terrorists are a strategic asset, they will not let them down.
Sorry, Mr. Saeed. Your anti-India rants aren't getting you enough donations anymore. Why don't you try some new perceived enemy, like Zimbabwe?
Its ok. The point has come when Hafiz Saeed is more harmful to Pakistan than he can ever be to India. He has contributed greatly to the radicalization of the society in Pakistan and those inturn have joined, some of them, the TTP and other such groups which want to overthrow the present Government.
how can we expect that pak is sincere about peace with India