LAHORE:
The Tahaffuz Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz (Front for the Protection of the Honour of the Holy Prophet [peace be upon him]), a pressure group formed by Barelvi Sunni parties, has announced it will stage a sit-in on The Mall on Wednesday in defiance of a ban on public assembly on the thoroughfare.
The TNRM was formed in 1998 to “defend the honour of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)”, said a spokesman, and includes the presidents and secretary generals of 11 parties as members.
The group is planning a rally from the Lahore Press Club to Club Chowk on The Mall and then a sit-in in front of Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday. After a meeting on Monday, the TNRM advised its supporters to bring cloth, water and salt with them to circumvent the effects of teargas.
Though the TNRM insists it works only to “defend the honour” of the Holy Prophet (pbuh), most of the grievances and demands on their posters advertising the rally appear personal. These include the non-provision of security to leaders of Ahle Sunnat, the “occupation” of Barelvi mosques by non-Barelvis, the registration of “fake” FIRs against their leaders, and the release of their opponents despite the registration of cases against them.
TNRM Secretary General Muhammad Ali Naqshbandi insisted that these issues fit the group’s agenda. “We have no personal agenda and have always tried to use the TNRM forum for a noble cause. If we are trying to protect our mosques, it is out of respect for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) as the Ahle Sunnat are the true lovers of the Holy Prophet (pbuh),” he said.
City Division Superintendent of Police Muhammad Anwar Khetran said that the Punjab government had banned protests on The Mall and the police would do their job of enforcing it.
The TNRM organised protests on February 14, 2006, against the blasphemous caricatures of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) that appeared in the European press, in which several buildings on The Mall were burnt.
During one rally in 2010, one of its key leaders, Pir Afzal Qadri, accused then Governor Salmaan Taseer of blasphemy for his defence of a jailed Christian woman and declared him ‘wajibul qatl’, or ‘deserving to be killed’.
TNRM Information Secretary Ziaul Haq Naqshbandi said that various police functionaries had contacted them and urged them not to hold the rally on The Mall, but they planned to go ahead with the protest.
He said several police officers were supporting banned militant organisations that were taking over Barelvi mosques. “We will move the courts if the police try to stop our rally by arresting our leaders. We are not afraid of fake FIRs and jails,” he said.
He said the Fidayan-i-Khatame Nabuwat, Idara Sirat-i-Mustaqeem, Ulema Nazamia, Bazm-i-Rasulia Sherazia, Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, Markazi Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, Sunni Ittehad Council, Anwar-i-Madina Naat Council, Markazi Jamiat Ulema Pakistan, Bazm-i-Naeemia, Nagina Society and other religious parties had been invited to join the protest.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2012.
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these are the same people who are mumtaz qadri's biggest supporters.they forbade people from participating in the funeral prayers of salman taseer.these are the people who inspired mumtaz qadri to commit murder.And they claim to the world that they are the moderate peace loving sufis of pakistan.these people are just as fanatic as the taliban are.