Sectarian harmony: Commissioner, KMC official meet religious scholars

Ulema stress the need to repair service roads from Teen Hatti to Sohrab Goth for processions.

KARACHI: Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) commissioner Samiuddin Siddiqui separately met religious scholars of different schools of thought to promote interfaith harmony during the holy month of Muharram.

Shoaib, on Tuesday, requested religious scholars to play their role in fostering the spirit of brotherhood and religious harmony among the people so that the holy month could be observed in a peaceful manner. “Religious scholars can play a positive role to strengthen the measures taken by the government to ensure security,” he observed.



During the meeting, the ulema emphasised the need to repair the service roads from Teen Hatti to Sohrab Goth to allow the processions to pass without any trouble. They demanded that all imambargahas and mosques should be exempt from load-shedding till Ashura.

The city commissioner assured the ulemas that all civic problems, including water shortages, prolonged load-shedding and overflowing nullahs, would be resolved on an immediate basis. The participants also decided that all relevant departments will provide water tankers, ambulances and fire trucks for the procession routes. The traffic police will also be issued alternative route plans while vehicles on Muharram duty will be issued passes.

The participants also decided that officials of the administration and the police should maintain close contact with the organisers of the processions, congregations and peace committees.

In another meeting, the municipal commissioner of KMC said that the relevant officials and organisers should fulfill their responsibilities for the convenience of the citizens. Samiuddin was speaking with a delegation of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamat members at his office on Tuesday. “Different camps will also be set-up by the KMC to facilitate the mourners.”

The delegation apprised him about the sanitation problems around the routes of Muharram processions. In response, he directed the district municipal corporations to ensure the proper cleaning of sewerage lines and removal of garbage from roads. During the meeting, the municipal commissioner said all necessary arrangements were in place to provide the basic facilities to the mourners.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th,2013.