Serving humanity: FIF moves court against ban on hides’ collection

The organisation is an offshoot of Jamaatud Dawa


Our Correspondent September 17, 2015
Lahore High Court. PHOTO: LHC.GOV.PK

LAHORE: Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa of Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the provincial government on a petition by the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, an offshoot of Jamaatud Dawa, challenging restrictions on collecting the hides of sacrificial animals.

FIF Information Secretary Salman Munir filed the petition saying that the foundation was not a proscribed organisation and that barring it from collecting hides indicated malafide intent. The petitioner said that the ban aimed to cripple the FIF financially so that it would not be able to continue its philanthropic activities.

Munir said the FIF was an independent registered NGO. “Ours is a philanthropic organisation that provides relief to flood and earthquake victims.” He said the FIF was also involved in digging wells in Balochistan and Thar to supply water to people in far-flung areas. “These areas do not have drinking water supply for miles and people there have to walk for miles to collect water from ponds that carry polluted water… it is unfortunate that the people there drink the water animals bathe in and drink from.”

Munir said the FIF’s work was based on love for humanity. “Due to our work in Sindh and Balochistan, we have been able to sway the sentiments of separatists and others who had taken up positions against Pakistan,” he said. The information secretary said that there was nothing on record to establish that the FIF was involved in any terrorist or subversive activities. “None of the respondents of the petition can produce a shred of evidence in this regard.”

He requested the court to declare the ban on FIF from collecting hides illegal.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th,  2015.

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