The Ministry of Interior has decided to take action against Ansar-ul-Islam, a subsidiary organization of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) which will hold 'Azadi March' against the government in coming days. Sources said that Ministry of Interior has sent a summary to the federal government seeking approval to ban Ansar-ul-Islam and take action against it.
However, the spokesman for Ministry of Interior has termed this letter as fake, saying, "The letter bears no signature and anyone can type this type of letter."
Similarly, according to proscribed organizations' a list available on National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) website, Ansar-ul-Islam had already been banned on June 30, 2008.
According to a reported summary of Ministry of Interior, which went viral on social as well as electronic media, there are reports of intelligence agencies and provincial governments that JUI-F has established a wing, a uniformed private militia/Razakar force named "Ansar-ul-Islam" to provide security to participants of its Azadi March and proposed sit-in in the federal capital on October 31.
It says that the uniformed forces carrying batons and sticks with wrapped barbed wires under a politico-religious party, apparently, aim at challenging the writ of the government. The rehearsal and march past carried out by the said force during the workers conventions recently held at Peshawar, pledging allegiance to the top leadership of JUI-F, have stirred fear among general public and these are being seen as a private armed militia/ combating force to confront the law enforcement agencies.
It is feared that the said private militant force, reportedly around 80,000 all over Pakistan, may sabotage public peace and create disorder and anarchy across the country during the Azadi March, the summary says.
It says that Ansar-ul-Islam is capable of functioning as military organization in violation of the prohibition contained in article 256 of the Constitution. It is organized, trained and equipped and is capable of being employed for the use or display of physical force in promoting or attaining the object of promoting the Azadi March.
The organization is equipped with batons, sticks, arms or ammunition and sharp objects and has posed a real, present and severe threat to the peace and tranquillity both in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration limits and other parts of the country.
The summary says that the article 265 of the Constitution prohibits the formation of a private organization capable of functioning as a military organization and declares it as illegal. Moreover, the National Action Plan (NAP) also provides that militant outfits and armed gangs will not be allowed to operate in the country. The section 2 of the Private Military Organization (Abolition and Prohibition) Act 1974 empowers the federal government to direct that the organization which offends article 256 of the Constitution shall stand abolished.
The summary says that article 146(1) of the Constitution permits the federal government to delegate any of its power to the provinces, conditionally or unconditionally but with the consent of the provincial governments.
It says that Ansar-ul-Islam has its existence in all the provinces in the country, including Islamabad. For an effective compliance with the article 256 of the Constitution, it is imperative that the provinces and the ICT administration are separately delegated the powers to deal with the issue on ground at their ends distinctly.
It says that the federal government authorises the Ministry of Interior to seek respective consents from the provincial governments in terms of article 146(1) of the Constitution. Once the respective consents of the provincial governments are obtained, the federal government through the Ministry of Interior will entrust them the power to take appropriate action under section 2 of the 1974 Act against Ansar-ul-Islam which shall inter alia include the power to abolish/ban the said organisation and take further steps against them on ground for the purpose of effectually completing the action under section 2 of the 1974 act.
Meanwhile, senior police officers of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have prepared a joint strategy to deal with protesters of Azadi March and ensure security of citizens. "Neither any individual or group would be allowed to block road nor any group will be allowed to enter the city in violation of rules and regulations," sources said.
He said that strict action will be taken against those who will take law into their hands. The city police have demanded more than 550 shipping containers to stop marchers before they enter the city. More than 100 containers will be required in around 10 locations in and around the Red Zone, they said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
Comments
Comments are closed.