Funeral in absentia: JI leader’s jihadi son died in drone strike
The son and daughter-in-law of a diehard Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) activist were killed in a recent drone strike in the North Waziristan tribal agency.
The funeral prayers in absentia were offered for Eng Ahsen Aziz, son of Commander (retd) Abdul Aziz Jiraal, and his wife at Quaid-e-Azam Cricket Stadium in Mirpur Thursday evening.
Former JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad led the funeral prayers attended by scores of JI supporters. The octogenarian Abdul Aziz Jiraal had held senior positions in the JI Mirpur chapter.
Eng Aziz had disappeared from the AJK in 2004 and later it transpired that he had first joined Kashmiri jihadi outfits and then the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan.
Jiraal told The Express Tribune that his son last spoke to him by phone from an undisclosed location about five years ago. Jiraal added that they were informed about the death of Eng Aziz and his wife by his colleagues in North Waziristan.
The couple was killed in a US drone strike in the Shawal area of North Waziristan on August 18.
Eng Aziz was the youngest of eight siblings. His two brothers are senior retired military officers and his father is a retired commander of Pakistan Navy.
Addressing the mourners after the funeral, Qazi Hussain Ahmed warned the government against launching a military operation in the Waziristan region.
“It would be a foolish decision if the government goes for an operation in North or South Waziristan,” Qazi said. “The massacre of innocent people in the so-called war against terrorism is spawning hatred.”
He also reiterated his opposition to drone strikes saying that America’s unmanned war was a threat to Pakistan’s solidarity and sovereignty.
Paying glowing tributes to late Engr Aziz, Qazi said he was a true Muslim who was imbued in the spirit of jihad. “Engr Aziz laid down his life for the Kashmir cause. He participated in ‘Jihad-e-Kashmir’ and ‘Jihad-e-Afghanistan’”.
Commander (retd) Jiraal, on the occasion, said that his son made him proud. “My son and daughter-in-law embraced martyrdom for a noble cause,” he added.
The head of the Muttahida Jihad Council Syed Salahuddin also attended the funeral.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2012.
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The Jamaat-e-Islami activist Qazi Hussain Ahmed's strong reaction at the funeral of the son of Abdul Aziz Jiraal and daughter-in-law is a very natural reaction. Their die hard approach towards Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as Kashmir is well known. The killing by the drones or by the joint US-Pak forces in North Waziristan was inevitable as their actions were not conducive to the national interests of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The work being done by Pakistan's armed forces in North Waziristan against the religious fundamentalists and terrorists is indeed remarkable and full of challenges. The Pakistan army is facing a dichotomy of fighting their own people who are being used by the terrorists in the name of 'Jihad' against the Islamic Republic. The drone attacks are inflicting heavy damage to the nefarious designs of the religious fundamentalists and terrorists within North Waziristan and hence the losses are resulting in reactions of the kind one hears from persons like Qazi Hussain Ahmed whose statement is full of grief and frustration in equal measure. The killing of the son and daughter-in-law Abdul Aziz Jiraal is no doubt a matter of misfortune for their family and an irreparable loss nevertheless the son and daughter-in-law was involved in the nefarious anti-Pakistan activities of terrorism for which he has had to pay the price with his life. He was no freedom fighter but a pure terrorist or a misguided person drunk with religious fundamentalism like his father. The religious fundamentalists in Pakistan are now a frustrated group of persons who have nowhere to go but to surrender or face death. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is moving on the lines of a Liberal and Moderate Islamic state which off course will take its own time and this blood bath on the Afghan-Pak boundary may continue for some time before the terrorists are fully crushed and fundamentalism is eradicated from the society of Pakistan. This is a long drawn exercise which is however, unavoidable as the people of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan want peace and prosperity and not violence, destruction and religious fanaticism that has been ruining their nation since the last few decades. Democracy is apparently taking roots which is not very acceptable an idea to the Jamaat-e-Islami and their followers.
Why Qazi sahib dont send his son for jihad ?????
The things saying itself that He was involved with Jihad e Afghanistan and was residing in Paksitan. sort of silly thing. Qazi sahab must clear if JI is actually backing such activities in Pakistan. Its proving another thing that US drone attacks are right in these areas as there are militants present here and because of them the innocent residents are also dying from Drone attacks.
It's now no secret that JI is a terrorist party and is behind all attrocities caused by TTP in Pakistan!
It is ok if Afghanis and Pakistanis are killed by US marines while you are a terrorist if you show resistance in your own territory.
The so called "non state actors" are out in open now
Was this man not included in the list of kidnapped/Missing persons?. Good. Truth has been revealed. There are many more who are involved in such activities and their cases are being heard in the Supreme Court of Pakistan against state institutions.