Business disrupted as 3,000 rally against sacrilegious film

People had difficulty accessing Aabpara; rally members remained peaceful.

ISLAMABAD:

Five years ago on October 5, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) Chief Maulana Azam Tariq was gunned down by unknown assailants just outside of Islamabad.

In reaction, his followers turned Islamabad upside down. Angry activists destroyed vehicles and markets besides burning down one of the only two cinema houses in the city, killing at least two people trapped inside. The memories of the SSP activists’ rampant violent protests linger on.

Every time they decide to march towards Islamabad, under their new name of Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), particularly on the occasion of their leader’s death anniversary, the city life is disrupted as administration makes stringent security arrangements.

This Friday was no different.

It was a pedestrian’s paradise on the roads around Aabpara. The police had placed concrete blocks on Khayaban-e Suharwardy to keep vehicles away from all sides, with the Kashmir Highway access point also closed, while barbed wire near Rehmania Mosque on Municipal Road marked the area for the protest rally up to Melody Chowk.

Over three thousand ASWJ activists, from different parts of the country, poured into Islamabad and gathered at Aabpara Chowk for “Shaheed-e-Islam Conference” to commemorate Maulana Tariq’s death anniversary.

The ASWJ members, mostly students from madrassahs, remained entirely peaceful, but the city administration did not take any risks. More than a thousand police personnel were deployed at different points around Aabpara and the surrounding Red Zone.

Most of Aabpara had become inaccessible for those unfamiliar with the narrow link roads of G-6, with cars and motorcycles trying to reach the bustling market area creating traffic jams all around.

“We anticipated there would be more people and they may also get violent over the anti-Islam movie issue,” said a police officer responsible for the security of Red Zone. However, no ASWJ activist tried violence.

A five-member delegation was selected. They were taken to the entrance of the Diplomatic Enclave where they handed a resolution condemning the film to the chief security officer of the US embassy. The resolution demanded action against the people behind the movie and urged the US to take steps to prevent such incidents in future.

“An international legislation against blasphemy is the need of the hour. [Organisation of Islamic Countries] should move beyond mere words and resolutions,” said Maulana Samiul Haq of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam (S) while addressing the gathering.

Addressing thousands of his supporters, ASWJ Chief Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to reopen a suo motu case of Shia-Sunni conflict, initiated by former chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah. “We will fully cooperate to bring an end to Shia-Sunni conflicts,” said Ludhianvi. The ASWJ chief also announced that his ASWJ will participate in the coming general elections and is open to seat adjustments with other parties.

The ASWJ supporters dispersed peacefully after spending the full day at Aabpara.

Disrupted life

Vans that normally use the Aabpara bus stop had to stop on Kashmir Highway near Aabpara Chowk to pick and drop passengers, since all access to the bus stop was closed.

At a shop in the market, Muhammad Shakil said he had to deliver boxed goods to I-9. “I cannot drive my truck out of the market because of the roadblocks,” Shakil said. “My work has been set back by at least three hours.”

Many living in suburbs such as Chak Shehzad and Bani Gala faced several hurdles as the intersection near Serena Hotel was blocked with large containers, forcing many to detour via Kashmir Highway. Some decided to go via Rawal Chowk and travel via Murree Road and on through sector I-8 in order to enter the city proper.

Raheem , a resident of Bhara Kahu, said, “It is terrible, people should have been informed earlier that the road will be blocked from Thursday evening.”

* With additional input from our correspondents/ photos: muhammad javaid

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2012.