Human Rights Advocacy and Media Watch
Urgent: Please sign and widely distribute this petition: Ban the Difa-e-Pakistan Council
According to news report, PTI senior vice-president Ejaz Chaudhry spoke at the Difa-e-Pakistan rally in Karachi (12 February 2012) as a formal representative of Imran Khan and PTI, thus reconfirming the widely known fact that PTI is in close partnership with banned Jihadi-sectarian militant organizations. Ejaz Chaudhry congratulated the DPC Jalsa participants on their noble cause (defence of Pakistan against enemies such as India, USA and Iran) and also assured them that Imran Khan himself will participate in the next DPC rally. He claimed that the spirit of change had spread through the country and how Pakistan needs to be “cleansed of America”.
Two key components of the ISI-sponsored Difa-e-Pakistan are: Jamaat-ud-Dawa (aka Lashkar-e-Taiba) and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (aka Lashkar-e-Jhangvi). The SSP is banned in Pakistan and internationally, while JuD is
The notorious agent of the ISI, extremist Wahhabi terrorist, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed has all of a sudden become quite active in national politics in Pakistan. Lately he has been seen meeting various leaders of Pakistan Muslim (Terrorists) League (PML) including the Lal Masjid fame Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Saeed makes public appearance in Islamabad after over 2 years
PTI, Dec 15, 2010,
ISLAMABAD: JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed made his first public appearance in the Pakistani capital in over two years at a meeting of leaders of key religious parties and hardliners opposed to changes in the country’s controversial blasphemy law.
Saeed, blamed by India for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has addressed gatherings and rallies across Punjab since he was released from house arrest last year but had not visited Islamabad in the recent past.
Addressing the gathering, Saeed stressed the need for a well-organised media campaign in favour of the blasphemy law.
Former premier and senior PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain also attended the meeting, which called for a country-wide strike on December 31 to oppose moves for changes in the blasphemy law.
A death sentence given by a lower court in Punjab to a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, convicted of insulting Prophet Mohammed has triggered a debate on the need to repeal or amend the blasphemy law introduced by late military ruler Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s.
The law carries a death penalty for anyone convicted of using derogatory language against Islam and the Prophet.
Minority communities and rights groups have said that the law has been misused to falsely implicate people in blasphemy cases.
An official report on Asia Bibi’s case submitted to President Asif Ali Zardari said she had been framed in the case.
Zardari has asked minority affairs minister Shahbaz Bhatti to recommend reformed procedures to prevent the misuse of the blasphemy law for personal and political reasons.
During today’s meeting, the leaders of the main religious parties announced they would resist any move to amend the blasphemy law.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who presided over the meeting, called for a strike across the country on December 31 to oppose moves to change the law.
Rehman said rallies will be organised in major cities on December 24 and a major rally will be held in the port city of Karachi on January 9.
The future strategy of the religious parties will be announced at the Karachi rally.
He also asked the government to clarify its position on the issue.
The leaders said they would raise the issue in parliament and oppose any move by the government to table amendments in the law.
Hafiz Saeed said he would support the movement by the religious parties.
Read more: Saeed makes public appearance in Islamabad after over 2 years – The Times of India
Zardari revealed Sharif-Jihadi nexus to Patterson: Wikileaks
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) already knew about the United Nation sanctions after the Mumbai attacks through Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who had advised them to withdraw their money from banks, President Asif Ali Zardari had revealed to former US ambassador Anne W Patterson, Wikileaks reports have alleged.
Sharif had “tipped off” the banned outfit LeT to help them evade UN sanctions, Zardari allegedly told Patterson, adding that earlier he had done the same for the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), LeT’s parent organization, “resulting in almost empty bank accounts,” Wikileaks have claimed.
US diplomats were unable to confirm the allegations which have come at a time of rising political tension between Zardari and Sharif but they conceded that JuD did appear to have received a warning from somewhere. “Information from the ministry of the interior does indicate that bank accounts contained surprisingly small amounts,” said the cable in January 2009.
Earlier this year, Punjab government was criticized in Punjab assembly and National assembly for giving funds of Rs.82 million to LeT charity organization Jamat -ul- dawah .
“Giving an outright grant to the JuD, when it has been banned, tells us that some elements in the Punjab government are still not committed fully to the idea that jihadist outfits like the LeT, with known leadership and cadre links to the JuD, must be rooted out and that their activities shut down,” said Sherry Rehman.
Blaming only Punjab government for supporting LeT would be highly unfair ; During recent floods Nawai Waqt published advertisements of charity organization related Laskhar-e-Taiba despite UN ban .
PPP information secretary Fauzia Wahab accused the Punjab government of facilitating the operation of Jamaatud Dawa despite a UN ban on the organisation as an alleged front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group and condemned publication of what she called advertisements about their relief work in two national dailies.
Pakistan Blogzine 