“Azadari is a fundamental constitutional right; No Restrictions will be accepted” Hassan Kazmi
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Presenting Banned Groups as Representatives of Recognized Schools of Thought in Official Committees Is a Mockery of the National Action Plan: Hassan Kazmi
Mourning Programs Should Be Protected in the Spirit of the Mousavi–Junejo Agreement of May 21, 1985: Hassan Kazmi
Targeting any school of thought through discriminatory laws is equivalent to undermining the foundations of the country: Hassan Kazmi Addresses Press Conference alongside Other Leaders
Lahore: The Secretary General of Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria (TNFJ) Punjab, Syed Hassan Kazmi, has stated that mourning activities (Azadari) are a fundamental and constitutional right, and no restrictions on them will be accepted. He said that TNFJ’s fourteen-point code of Azadari serves as a comprehensive charter for Muharram Azadari and guarantees peace and harmony all across. He further stated that an absolute ban on new Majalis e Aza (mourning programs) during Muharram-ul-Haram and the registration of cases against religious gatherings held within private premises are contrary to the Constitution. Punjab government’s refusal to implement Lahore High Court decisions and eliminate unfair restrictions on Azadari programs caused by the unconstitutional SOPs of Punjab Home Department, amounts to a denial of justice. He also criticized the inclusion of proscribed groups as representatives of recognized schools of thought in government committees and meetings, as well as visits by government officials to the residences and offices of such groups, describing these actions as a mockery of the National Action Plan.
He expressed these views while addressing a special press conference regarding Muharram-ul-Haram at the Lahore Press Club. Senior provincial office-bearers of TNFJ and the Muharram Committee Azadari Cell were present on the occasion, including Provincial Secretary Syed Zulfiqar Haider Naqvi, Allama Sabeeh Haider Shirazi, Allama Rizwan Haider Turabi, Syed Shahid Abbas Kazmi, and others.
Addressing the press conference, Hassan Kazmi said that framing unconstitutional laws to discriminate against any recognized school of thought and imposing restrictions on religious freedoms constitute a departure from the ideological essence of Pakistan and are tantamount to weakening the very foundations of the state. He added that countless sacrifices were made for the creation of Pakistan, and if necessary, such sacrifices would continue to ensure that attempts to transform the country from an Islamic state into a sectarian state never succeed.
On this occasion, he also reannounced TNFJ’s fourteen-point code of Azadari issued by the Chief of Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria, Agha Syed Hussain Muqaddasi. The code calls upon the government to ensure protection for mourning programs in accordance with the spirit of the Mousavi–Junejo Agreement of May 21, 1985.
Also read: Lahore Police Finalize Massive Security Plan for Muharram
