Need to remain calm
Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Chief of Jamaat-ud Dawa, and four other members of the organisation have been placed under house arrest for a period of three months at the chief’s Johar Town residence in Lahore. The timing for this detention has resulted in speculation at the centre of which is India, that blames Saeed for being the mastermind of major attacks on their soil – in 2008 Saeed was placed under house arrest after the Mumbai attacks.
Surrounding the detention is the US with its reckless new President who has followed through with his controversial ban on Muslims entering the US with Pakistan not included at the moment but not ruled out either. Some believe that the house arrest is a bone to throw to the US that maintains that Pakistan is selective in its fight against terrorism and extremism.
All that is of course conjecture as both the government and more importantly the army have stated categorically that the detention is in the National interest while opposition parties (excluding PPP) are blaming US and Indian pressure for the sudden move. The opposition in the Punjab Assembly, a day after the arrest, staged a walkout.
The Difa-e Pakistan Council (DPC) Chairman Maulana Samiul Haq also believes that the house arrest is to please India that is annoyed by the council’s call to make 2017 the year for the ‘liberation of Kashmir’.
Small sporadic protests have taken place in Lahore since the arrests were made. The fact that the Pak Army was consulted and has endorsed the arrest is probably the main reason why there has not been a major show of strength so far and the situation remains under control.
The collection of evidence and legal proceedings that may follow against JuD and its charity wing the Falah-i-Insaaniat Foundation (FIF) should be completed without any delay. Opposition parties are free to voice their opinions in the proper forum and peaceful protests are a democratic right. Any untoward incident however would be most unfortunate, the Mumtaz Qadri protests being a case in point.
