Deepening row: JI strikes a defiant tone
Shura says armed forces have no right to interfere in politics, insists no clarification is needed on the matter.
JI chief had said in a recent television interview that if an American who died on the battlefield was not a martyr, then his backers were also not martyrs, because they were chasing the same goal. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
Within 24 hours of Pakistan Army’s angry rejoinder to a controversial statement by the Jamaat-e-Islami amir, the party’s Shura (consultative body) pored over the issue during a meeting on Monday.
Though no formal clarification was issued as was demanded in the Inter-Services Public Relations statement, JI leaders said their party considered everyone who dies fighting for the country a martyr (Shaheed).
The Shura meeting – which was chaired by JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan – agreed that the armed forces have no right to interfere in politics or democratic issues. Briefing the media after the meeting, JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch said the Shura decided to draw the government’s attention to the matter because the military’s interference in politics was unacceptable.
According to him, the Shura wondered how the military brass could ignore several resolutions of the JI and policy statements of its chief paying tributes to the martyrs of the armed forces, including the martyrs of Salala and Upper Dir.
The party’s leaders reiterated their demand that Pakistan pull out of the ‘US war’ as it was a continuation of the policy of military dictator Pervez Musharraf.
While talking to The Express Tribune, JI Deputy Secretary General Dr Farid Paracha sought to play down the issue which, he said, was created by some media outlets. “Since the JI considers everyone, whether he’s a militaryman or civilian, who dies while defending the country a martyr, there is no need to issue a separate clarification,” he said.
The controversy was stoked by what the JI chief said in a recent television interview that if an American who died on the battlefield was not a martyr, then his backers were also not martyrs, because they were chasing the same goal.
Angered by Hassan’s veiled reference to personnel of Pakistan’s security forces, the ISPR said on Sunday that the JI should “clearly state its party position on the subject”.
Dr Paracha, however, said the JI chief didn’t explicitly say that the military personnel who laid down their lives for the country were not martyrs. Therefore, he added, this is no question of issuing a clarification.
JI’s deputy chief Dr Muhammad Kamal said his party has always expressed solidarity with the armed forces whether it was the 1965 and 1971 wars with India, or the deadly Nato air raids on Salala border posts. While talking to The Express Tribune, he blamed the ANP and MQM for quoting Munawar Hassan’s statement out of context.
He reiterated that any Pakistan – whether he’s a civilian or a military man – who dies defending the country is a martyr. However, he added that those who accepted dollars from the US and died fighting were not martyrs.
According to Dr Kamal, the meeting agreed that the armed forces could not directly ask the JI for a clarification.
“The armed forces should ask us through the prime minister,” he added. When asked, Dr Kamal said his party has not sent any message to the army in writing but conveyed its message through the media.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2013.
Within 24 hours of Pakistan Army’s angry rejoinder to a controversial statement by the Jamaat-e-Islami amir, the party’s Shura (consultative body) pored over the issue during a meeting on Monday.
Though no formal clarification was issued as was demanded in the Inter-Services Public Relations statement, JI leaders said their party considered everyone who dies fighting for the country a martyr (Shaheed).
The Shura meeting – which was chaired by JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan – agreed that the armed forces have no right to interfere in politics or democratic issues. Briefing the media after the meeting, JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch said the Shura decided to draw the government’s attention to the matter because the military’s interference in politics was unacceptable.
According to him, the Shura wondered how the military brass could ignore several resolutions of the JI and policy statements of its chief paying tributes to the martyrs of the armed forces, including the martyrs of Salala and Upper Dir.
The party’s leaders reiterated their demand that Pakistan pull out of the ‘US war’ as it was a continuation of the policy of military dictator Pervez Musharraf.
While talking to The Express Tribune, JI Deputy Secretary General Dr Farid Paracha sought to play down the issue which, he said, was created by some media outlets. “Since the JI considers everyone, whether he’s a militaryman or civilian, who dies while defending the country a martyr, there is no need to issue a separate clarification,” he said.
The controversy was stoked by what the JI chief said in a recent television interview that if an American who died on the battlefield was not a martyr, then his backers were also not martyrs, because they were chasing the same goal.
Angered by Hassan’s veiled reference to personnel of Pakistan’s security forces, the ISPR said on Sunday that the JI should “clearly state its party position on the subject”.
Dr Paracha, however, said the JI chief didn’t explicitly say that the military personnel who laid down their lives for the country were not martyrs. Therefore, he added, this is no question of issuing a clarification.
JI’s deputy chief Dr Muhammad Kamal said his party has always expressed solidarity with the armed forces whether it was the 1965 and 1971 wars with India, or the deadly Nato air raids on Salala border posts. While talking to The Express Tribune, he blamed the ANP and MQM for quoting Munawar Hassan’s statement out of context.
He reiterated that any Pakistan – whether he’s a civilian or a military man – who dies defending the country is a martyr. However, he added that those who accepted dollars from the US and died fighting were not martyrs.
According to Dr Kamal, the meeting agreed that the armed forces could not directly ask the JI for a clarification.
“The armed forces should ask us through the prime minister,” he added. When asked, Dr Kamal said his party has not sent any message to the army in writing but conveyed its message through the media.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2013.