HYDERABAD: The Jamiat-i-Ulema Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-N) led by Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammed Zubair on Sunday warned of a sit-in on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal if it was not granted the mandatory permission for the Eid Milad procession and a congregation traditionally held on Station Road in the city.

The JUP, led by Shah Awais Noorani, however, accused the JUP-N of blackmailing the district administration and police and plotting to sabotage the Eid-i-Milad programmes.

The two JUP factions have been at odds over several issues since March this year when the party split into two major factions.

Speaking at a press conference held at the local press club on Sunday, JUP-N information secretary Mohammad Younus Danish, Hyderabad emir of its Markazi Jamaat Ahle Sunnat Qari Suleman Awan and other leaders said the party used to be given the permission for taking out the main procession in the city and the Jamat for holding the congregation and Milad on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal for 40 years. They said that Sahibzada Zubair had been addressing the congregation and Milad (titled Milad-i-Mustafa conference) at Gari Khata for 30 years.

But this year, the permission was given those who were no more with the JUP-N, they said. They accused that Hyderabad district intelligence bureau and the City police station of “taking bribes for giving permission to Mohammad Aslam Noornai [former finance secretary of the Jamaat] who was removed a couple of months back.

They urged the Sindh government and Hyderabad deputy commissioner, DIG and SSP to remove corrupt police officials and black sheep within the district administration and police. They called for withdrawal of the permission from the rival side and grant it to the JUP-N and its Jamaat immediately. “Otherwise, we will be compelled to stage a massive protest sit-in on Station Road on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal against this injustice and if any untoward incident took place, the responsibility will rest on the district police,” they warned.

They also alleged that DIB head Junaid Abbasi, DSP Sabir Gaddi and certain other officials were trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the city.

The JUP-N leaders also urged the deputy commissioner, Hyderabad Municipal Corporation administrator and Water and Sanitation Agency managing director to take measures for the repair and improvement of the city’s infrastructure, lifting and disposal of garbage and proper supply of drinking water to consumers.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad district spokesman for the JUP’s Markazi Jamaat Ahle Sunnat said in a statement on Sunday that the permission for the congregation and Milad had always been granted to Mohammad Aslam Noorani, who got it this year, too.

The spokesman said that Qari Suleman Awan and Mohammad Younus Danish were among those who were expelled from the JUP four months back.

“Under a conspiracy, these people are blackmailing the district police and administration and planning to stage a protest sit-in to sabotage the 12th of Rabiul Awal programmes,” the statement said.

He said that JUP chairman Owais Noorani and other leaders would address the Markazi Milad Mustafa conference at Gari Khata Chowk on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal as usual.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2014