SFP News

Jan2 2009

Shuhda-List

The collective Soyem of Shohada-e-Ashura (Karachi) was held here near Masjid-e-Khurasan ,Britto road ,on the night of 13 th of Moharram 1431 A.H . The program was jointly organized by institutions,organizations and alliances from across the spectrum of Millat-e-Jaffaria Pakistan .Representatives,members and leaders from Imamia Organization Pakistan, Imamia Students Organizations Pakistan,Shaheed Foundation Pakistan , Haiat-e-Aima-e-Masajid wa Ulema-e-Imamia ,Asgharia Organization ,Markazi Tanzeem-e-Aza,Jaffaria Alliance Pakistan ,All Pakistan Shia Action Committee,Shia Ulema Council ,Lashkar-e-Imam-e-Zamana atfs participated in the program among others. The program was excellently anchored by Agha Aftab Haider Jaffri in his unique style.  The program started off after the maghrebain prayers and witnessed a fairly good turn out of momineen from all walks of life, despite cold weather and limited time for publicizing the event . 

The venue was decorated with different banners reading eye-opening statements like ' Mustafa Kamal, 9 April aur 12 May ki footages kahan hain'…? , 'Shahadat Shahadat Saadat Saadat' ,'Shaheed ki jo maut hai ,wo qaum ki hayat hai ' .
In his opening remarks Agha Aftab Haider Jaffri very aptly noted that the worldly ideologies get buried in the museums of history over time ,but Karbala which is the source of energy and motivation for Shiaan-e-Ali has braved the challenges of yesteryears and is fully competent to confront the future challenges .
 
Agha Hasan Zafar Naqvi 's lively address soon followed . He began by dispelling the impression created by certain media reports that he suffered a heart attack on the janaza procession day and appeared extra-ordinarily fresh and energetic ,which he attributed to the resolve of millat-e-jaffaria . He lashed out very heavily on the perpetrators of heinous crimes and the architects of the arson and plunder that subsequently followed terming them to be a well thought out conspiracy to undermine the sacrifices of Shohada-e-Ashura karachi . In what was an unprecedented criticism of cetain politico-religious parties, who support the takfiri yazidi groups by resorting to criminal silence against the various tragedies of attacks on muslims of Pakistan and particularly Millat-e-Jaffaria, he  termed them as munafiqeen , and an illegitimate legacy of the hegemonistic powers.    
 
He said that on the day of burial , the funeral procession numbering tens of thousands of momineen, covered about 25 to 30 Km of distance to wadi-e-Hussain AS cemetry and not a single incident of any damage to public or private property was reported . This he said ,should make abundantly clear that Millat-e-Jaffaria is a vibrant but a responsible nation.
 
 Analysing the Ashura day he said , that the arson and mass burning started about 3 to 4km ahead of where the procession was at the time of bomb blast ,while ironically the places where the procession was like Numayesh , Bundu khan ,  Tibet Centre and Jamia Clothe market remained absolutely safe. Even the saddar area to the left of procession housing electronics market and other important business hubs remained scratch less . This he said points out to the fact that the mourners were only peacefully observing the religious rites and arson was handiwork of pre-planted rogue elements who had nothing to do with millat-e-jaffaria and mourners. On the top of that huge quantities of chemicals like phosphorus and cans of kerosene that were used to criminally burn to ashes  within minutes of the blast ,the area from denso hall to boulton market ,is not something which mourners carry. This he said  again establishes the fact that the blast and subsequent turmoil was the part of same design.
 
He also highlighted the fact that this is not the first time when mourners had taken out a procession as mourning processions of the same magnitude pass the same route many times in a year ,without even a little incident of criminal arson .
 
He also reminded the administration that the same magnitude of Ashura procession in karachi, gave a sit in for 6 ,back on Ashura 2004 ,to stage protest against the attack on Ashura procession of Quetta and again the event remained peaceful .
 
He said ,these logical arguments should be enough to assure our fellow country men and traders fraternity that  millat-e-jaffaria is a peace loving community .
 
 He also lashed out heavily at the city, provincial administration and particularly the DIG and CCPO who could not ascertain even the nature of blast in 48-72 hours ,but quickly ascertained the supposed perpetrators of arson and arrested dozens of innocent shia youth on false charges .
 
Referring to the much talked about footages showing people wearing black clothes involved in arson , he said quoting past examples, any planted criminal can wear black clothes to give an impression that he is the part of procession . He also recalled an incident on the eve of funeral of Dr. Ibne- Hasan Shaheed ,when he himself indicated and asked the police to arrest  some 'artificially planted' outside criminal elements who were damaging public and private property, taking advantage of procession . But the criminals had blessings of higher-ups in the echelons of power and were immediately released by police.  He further said ,that when he later quoted the event to the then prime minister in a sub-sequent meeting , the officials faced tremendous embarassment on the bitter truth.
 
He conveyed in unequivocal terms that Millat-e-Jaffaria is not a collection of simpleton folks ,and such tactics can simply not befool anybody . Earlier in the press conference on 10th Moharram Agha Zafar quoted a similar incident where when the planted criminal was identified by Agha Sb. and when police came to arrest the criminal , he took out some  'card' from his pocket and the police official assisted the criminal to run away from a safe passage.   
 
 Issuing a stern statement regarding arrests of innocent shia youth ,he urged the government to immediately release the innocent shia youth . He also strongly hinted about 'Jail Bharo Tehreek' and turning every azadari gathering (majlis) and procession (julus) this year into a protest gathering ,in event of non-compliance of the gov