SARGODHA / LAHORE: Days after threatening to ‘shut down’ the Punjab government if shariah law is not enforced, Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi called off the agitation against provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah following a visit by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif during which the latter paid the caretaker of the Sial Sharif shrine traditional obeisance by bowing his head and touching his knees on Thursday.

The chief minister and Punjab government spokesperson Zaeem Qadri travelled to the Sial Sharif shrine, located some 35 kilometres from Sargodha, to persuade Pir Sialvi to cancel the agitation against Mr Sanaullah, who he had accused of passing ‘controversial’ remarks about the Ahmadi community. In its stead, the chief minister promised to organise and attend Seerat-un-Nabi and Khatm-i-Nubuwat conferences, to be led by Pir Sialvi, across the province. He said the finality of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would be highlighted at the conferences. The parliamentarians who had presented their resignation in solidarity with Pir Sialvi’s condemnation of Mr Sanaullah’s ‘offensive’ remarks — two members of the National Assembly and three of the Punjab Assembly — were present on the occasion.

In reply to a question at a press conference he held after holding a successful dialogue with Pir Sialvi, the chief minister said he had an affectionate relationship with Pir Sialvi based on love and kindness. “However, some political opponents and religious segments have tried to create differences between us. Upon my request, Pir Hameeduddin Sialvi has announced cancelling the agitation movement,” Mr Sharif said. Replying to another question, he said the lawmakers had withdrawn their resignations.

Instead the pir will lead Khatm-i-Nubuwat conferences organised by government across Punjab

The chief minister announced that a five-member committee had been constituted to deal with the pir’s complaints against the Punjab law minister and its first session was scheduled to be held in Lahore next week. Mr Sharif said the committee would suggest whether Mr Sanaullah should offer Pir Sialvi an apology for his earlier remarks and also visit the shrine of Sial Sharif and clarify his stance on this issue. He said the matter of legislators’ resignations, submitted during a series of Khatm-i-Nubuwat meetings held earlier this month, would also be decided by the committee which had been constituted in consultation with the pir.

The Punjab CM said he had personal ties with the pir of Sial Sharif who, he added, had always supported the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Unfortu­nately though, there were some people who wanted to stir unrest in the province, he added.

An insider requesting anonymity told Dawn that the chief minister had also had a discussion with Pir Sialvi regarding the distribution of party tickets in Sahiwal tehsil, and promised him a ticket for the Senate elections.

However, Sahibzada Qasim Sialvi rubbished the reports and said Pir Sialvi had only discussed the matter of Khatm-i-Nubuwat with the chief minister. He said that some nefarious elements wanted a confrontation between the people and the government. The pir of Sial Sharif was a spiritual leader of millions and his integrity was beyond reproach.

However, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah leader Dr Ashraf Jalali, who was also party to the protest movement, said that his party would stick to the protest plan announced earlier. The jail bharo (fill up jails) protest movement would start on Jan 27, he said. Under the plan, nearly 100 workers from Lahore will present themselves for arrest on Friday (today). After that, 100 workers from each city will present themselves for arrest every day.

“Our cooperation with the Pir of Sial Sharif is limited to the implementation of shariah,” Jamil Baig Jalali, spokesperson for the Tehreek, says.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2018