I hate to keep repeating myself, but repeat myself I must so long as necessary. Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam was a party founded in late 1920s. Its leading lights were people like Ataullah Shah Bukhari, Mazhar Ali Azhar and Daud Ghaznavi. Later these gentlemen were tasked by the Congress’ increasingly Machiavellian leadership under Gandhi and Nehru to divide the Muslim minority of the subcontinent along sectarian lines. Gandhi and Nehru felt that a united Muslim voice would pose political problems that would challenge their single party hegemony over the independence movement. Consequently Majlis-e-Ahrar started two major movements, at Congress’ behest. The first was the Madhe-Sahaba Movement against Shias in Lucknow with the express purpose of weakening the Muslim League. Then they initiated the anti-Ahmadi movement in Punjab by raising the issue of that sect’s right to identify as Muslim. Jinnah was wise to these machinations and swiftly ruled out any such sectarian division proclaiming that anyone who professes to be Muslim is welcome in the Muslim League be he Ahmadi or Shia or Mahdavi or what have you.

Ahrar rally Chanab Nagar Rabwah

On 7 September 1974 Pakistan for all practical purposes ceased to exist and the state became Ahraristan. Ahrarism is the de facto ideology of this state now. Its founding father is not the anglicised Shiite lawyer Mr Jinnah who would countenance no discrimination in the name of religion. It is not even Mr Bhutto who naively imagined he was doing the country a favour by resolving the Ahmadi issue. Nor is it General Zia who was perhaps Ahrar’s most effective tool in the country. The true founder of this country in the shape that it exists now is none other than Ataullah Shah Bokhari, the firebrand Congress cleric who had denounced Pakistan as Kafiristan and proudly proclaimed that he would not allow the Muslim League to even make the P in Pakistan.

He couldn’t stop the League in 1947 but his successors claimed the country as their own. They are the ultimate victors. Even liberals have to follow suit. Consequently you find professors from Stockholm and free-lance journalists from New Jersey hiding behind anti-Ahmaddiya propaganda to justify their often unsubstantiated attacks on Pakistan itself. In Pakistan you can abuse Pakistan, Jinnah and everything under the sun, so long as you also abuse Ahmadis. This is why a fraud like Agha Shorish Kashmiri is a respected literary figure in Pakistan.

People often speak about Saudi influence. Saudis have definitely been influential since the 1970s in Pakistan using their oil money to fund rabid clerics. However it is the cancer of Ahrarism that has seeped in so deep that has enabled Pakistan’s steady decline into the abyss. This comes with consequences. Consider the new piece of legislation introduced in the Senate, which calls for making fines and punishments for violation of Ehteram-e-Ramadan Ordinance (ERO) 1981. To begin with ERO is a gross violation not just of fundamental right of religious freedom but vitiates the very spirit of Islam, which is encapsulated in the clear injunction of the Holy Quran that “there is no compulsion in religion”. Yet it is quite a popular thing to trample on religious liberty of the citizens of Pakistan provided it is done in the name of Islam. Unfortunately there is no judge in all of Pakistan who has it in himself to strike down a blatantly unconstitutional and un-Islamic law like the ERO. Consequently Non-Muslims in Pakistan must silently suffer for the crime of being born in a Muslim majority country. They must reconcile themselves with the fact that politicians and the military alike will continue to use religion for their own ends and they will continue to live as, at best, second class citizens of this benighted country.

Syed Ata ul Muhaimin bukhari, president of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Pakistan

Another manifestation of Ahrarism is the palpable anti-Shia feeling amongst the Sunni majority in the country. If Iran threatens Pakistan over border disputes or sectarian groups operating with impunity in Balochistan, Shias are expected to denounce Iran and prove their loyalty to Pakistan. The decision to allow an Ex-Army Chief to head up the predominantly Sunni alliance was also part of this sordid saga. Who do they think they were fooling when they claimed that it was a Pan-Islamic alliance and that Iran would be cajoled into joining it? Let us call a spade a spade. It is a Sunni alliance aimed at Shias and Pakistan, home to second largest Shia population in the world, has foolishly decided to join it. What a shame for a country whose founding father was a Shia.

Well such is the nature of international sectarian Muslim politics today. My advice to Pakistanis is that if you choose to continue to tread this perilous path, at the very least you can petition the government to change the name of the country to Ahraristan. That would be truly reflective of the reality of Pakistan today.

The writer is a practising lawyer. He blogs at hhtp://globallegalforum.blogspot.com and his twitter handle is @therealylh

Zafar Farid Hashmi granted bail to Abid Hasan Hashmi against Rs50,000 surety bonds. The magistrate observed that the matter needed to be further investigated. He stated that the posters were also not recovered from Hashmi. Gulberg police had arrested Hashmi and one Nauman on Sunday for allegedly putting up stickers carrying remarks against the Ahmadiyya community at entrances to their shops at Hafeez Centre.

Police had later released Nauman without recording his arrest. Hashmi was presented before a magistrate on Sunday who had sent him on judicial remand. Hashmi’s lawyer submitted that he did not own the shop where the posters had been displayed. “The shop’s owner, too, is not responsible because any visitor can put up a poster there.”

Hashmi was brought to the Model Town courts complex amid stringent security arrangements.

A large number of people, including some traders from Hafeez Centre and members of a Khatm-i-Nabuwat organisation, had gathered in front of the court to protest the arrest.

They raised slogans in favour of the suspects.

The FIR registered under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religious beliefs) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance stated that a police team had removed notices carrying derogatory remarks against the Ahmadiyya community from the entrance of the suspects’ shops at Hafeez Centre.

Traders protest against arrests

Traders from several city markets staged a protest demonstration on Monday against the arrest of two men on charges of displaying anti-Ahmadiyya slogans at the entrance to their shops.

A large number of traders and shopkeepers from Hafeez Centre, Hassan Tower, Pace and other markets and commercial areas in the area gathered outside Hafeez Centre at Gulberg’s Main Boulevard. They carried banners, posters and placards inscribed with slogans against the government and the Police Department.

Hafeez Centre Traders’ Association president Muhammad Fayyaz Butt and general secretary Sheikh Muhammad Fayyaz said it was very unfortunate that police had registered a case against one of the traders who was arrested.

“A day before the arrests, police had removed the objectionable stickers from the market. We thought the issue had been resolved. However, the next day, police arrested two traders,” he said. Gulberg police had raided Hafeez Centre on Saturday and removed objectionable stickers from two shops. Later, police had arrested the shop owners.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2015.

LAHORE(Pakistan): Gulberg police arrested two traders on Sunday for putting up notices containing degrading remarks for Ahmadiyya community at the entrance of their shops at Hafeez Centre, said a handout issued by Operations DIG Haider Ashraf. The traders identified as Abid Hashmi and Nauman were presented before a judicial magistrate who sent them on a two-week judicial remand. Police remove anti-Ahmadi posters from Lahore’s largest IT market The police sought custody of the suspects to interrogate them. The counsel for the suspect, however, submitted that there was no need for it and requested the court to send his clients on judicial remand. He told the court that his clients had been implicated in a false case. Tight security arrangements were made at the Model Town courts to avoid an untoward incident as the suspects were brought to the court. A large crowd, including some traders from Hafeez Centre, had gathered in front of the court to protest the arrests. They chanted slogans in favour of the suspects and demanded their release. Pakistan’s Ahmadis battle mob and state for identity The FIR registered under Sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religious beliefs) of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) stated that a police team had removed notices carrying derogatory remarks against the Ahmediyya community from the entrance of the suspects’ shops at Hafeez Centre. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Hafeez Centre Traders’ Association president Farooq Butt had said traders from across the city would gather in front of Hafeez Centre and stage a protest against the arrests on Monday (today). “The police should refrain from intervening in matters related to our beliefs,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2015