Eidul Azha: Banned outfits ‘hide’ but manage to collect
Jamaatud Dawa sets up elaborate camps in Lahore.
RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR/LAHORE:
Despite a ban imposed by the interior ministry on the collection of hides by organisations proscribed under the Anti-terrorism Act, some outfits such as Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) were still able to collect hides – albeit in smaller numbers.
Earlier, the interior ministry prohibited 40 banned outfits such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), JuD, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Sipa-e-Sahaba from collecting hides of sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha.
All provincial home departments were asked to strictly implement the ban, while a no-objection certificate was required for any organisation seeking to collect hides.
Though authorities were quick to rubbish any such claims, locals said these organisations collected hides in some suburban areas of Peshawar by going around in pick-up vans. Unlike the past there were no permanent camps, however.
Residents of some of the areas where hides were collected by such outfits said volunteers drove around in pick-up trucks, but were wary of police and law-enforcement agencies.
Fearing a crackdown, some organisations collected hides under different names, said a police official.
In Rawalpindi, JuD, Sunni Tehreek and Hizbut Tahrir set up camps sporting banners. Though law enforcers did manage to take some of these banners down, some outfits maintained their collection drive was successful.
“JuD workers collected a lot of hides from the city as we love Pakistan and Pakistanis love us,” said an activist of the same organisation.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zaffar said banners put up by these outfits were taken down and that their workers were not allowed to collect hides.
City Police Officer Azhar Hameed Khokhar admitted some had succeeded in evading the police, but added that all overt activities were shunned.
Interestingly, even organisations which are not proscribed were not aware of the requirement of a no-objection certificate (NOC).
A representative of the Al-Khidmat Foundation said they collected hides, but were not aware of the stipulation calling for an NOC.
JuD’s collection drive in Lahore, however, was not so covert.
The controversial charity organisation set up camps to collect hides of animals in various parts of Lahore. Apart from these camps which sported huge banners, JuD activists visited peoples’ houses asking them to donate the hides to the organisation. Donors were also reminded through phone calls.
Last week on Thursday, the district government of Lahore rejected JuD’s application to get a NOC for the same.
LHC’s Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial rejected JuD’s plea citing the federal government’s ban on its activities, including hide collection.
The organisation set up 19 camps in the city. It also gave bags to people to put the hides in and drop them off at the nearest camp. A contact number was printed on the bag in case the donor wanted a JuD representative to come collect them.
JuD’s counsel AK Dogar told The Express Tribune they did not collect hides by going to houses and asking people. Instead, they received them only from people who wanted to donate the hides to the organisation.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2012.
Despite a ban imposed by the interior ministry on the collection of hides by organisations proscribed under the Anti-terrorism Act, some outfits such as Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) were still able to collect hides – albeit in smaller numbers.
Earlier, the interior ministry prohibited 40 banned outfits such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), JuD, Jaish-e-Muhammad and Sipa-e-Sahaba from collecting hides of sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha.
All provincial home departments were asked to strictly implement the ban, while a no-objection certificate was required for any organisation seeking to collect hides.
Though authorities were quick to rubbish any such claims, locals said these organisations collected hides in some suburban areas of Peshawar by going around in pick-up vans. Unlike the past there were no permanent camps, however.
Residents of some of the areas where hides were collected by such outfits said volunteers drove around in pick-up trucks, but were wary of police and law-enforcement agencies.
Fearing a crackdown, some organisations collected hides under different names, said a police official.
In Rawalpindi, JuD, Sunni Tehreek and Hizbut Tahrir set up camps sporting banners. Though law enforcers did manage to take some of these banners down, some outfits maintained their collection drive was successful.
“JuD workers collected a lot of hides from the city as we love Pakistan and Pakistanis love us,” said an activist of the same organisation.
District Coordination Officer (DCO) Saqib Zaffar said banners put up by these outfits were taken down and that their workers were not allowed to collect hides.
City Police Officer Azhar Hameed Khokhar admitted some had succeeded in evading the police, but added that all overt activities were shunned.
Interestingly, even organisations which are not proscribed were not aware of the requirement of a no-objection certificate (NOC).
A representative of the Al-Khidmat Foundation said they collected hides, but were not aware of the stipulation calling for an NOC.
JuD’s collection drive in Lahore, however, was not so covert.
The controversial charity organisation set up camps to collect hides of animals in various parts of Lahore. Apart from these camps which sported huge banners, JuD activists visited peoples’ houses asking them to donate the hides to the organisation. Donors were also reminded through phone calls.
Last week on Thursday, the district government of Lahore rejected JuD’s application to get a NOC for the same.
LHC’s Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial rejected JuD’s plea citing the federal government’s ban on its activities, including hide collection.
The organisation set up 19 camps in the city. It also gave bags to people to put the hides in and drop them off at the nearest camp. A contact number was printed on the bag in case the donor wanted a JuD representative to come collect them.
JuD’s counsel AK Dogar told The Express Tribune they did not collect hides by going to houses and asking people. Instead, they received them only from people who wanted to donate the hides to the organisation.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2012.