LAHORE: The Punjab government has appointed administrators at the Chowburji head office of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) Jamia Al Qadsia and main centre in Muridke after taking over charge of the premises.

In Lahore, the authorities on Thursday barred JuD chief Hafiz Saeed from leading prayers at the Jamia Masjid Qadsia at Chowburji Chowk and appointed an official administrator there.

Police contingents were dispatched to Jamia Qadsia Masjid to help the administration take its control. Police locked the adjoining head office of the JuD late in the night, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

The official said the JuD leaders and other activists present there offered no resistance and rather cooperated with the law enforcement agencies.

He said the JuD leadership in Lahore had also handed over 75 ambulances to police. The ambulances have been handed over to Rescue 1122 with a directive to redesign them and make them permanent part of the emergency service.

Similarly, the official said, security had also been tightened at the Muridke Markaz of the JuD where the government had appointed six administrators, including two female officers, at its various sections.

The official said a woman government schoolteacher had been appointed as administrator at a girls’ school at the Muridke Markaz, while a doctor had been posted at the hospital. A tehsildar had been appointed as administrator to run the affairs of the entire premises of the JuD Markaz which was housing more than 300 families, he added.

In reply to a question, the senior official said Lahore housed hundreds of mosques under the administration of JuD which would be taken into official control in the coming days in phases.

Seminary seized in Bajaur district

The authorities have seized a JuD seminary in Bajaur tribal district.

According to a statement issued by Deputy Commissioner Usman Mehsood’s office, the action was taken following directives by the federal government to take over assets of proscribed organisations.

It stated that madressah Taleemul Islam, situated in Lagagari area of Mamund tehsil, which was being controlled by the JuD was seized by the district administration.

After taking control of the seminary, the administration had appointed Sher Wali Khan, headmaster of Laghari government high school, as in charge of the madressah.

The statement did not specify anything about the arrest of the seminary’s teachers and principal.

Meanwhile, the district administration took over on Thursday a health care facility run by the Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation, a charity wing of the banned JuD, in Chitral.

Deputy Commissioner Khurshid Alam Mehsud told Dawn that the management of the hospital situated near Sabzi Mandi had been entrusted to the medical superintendent of DHQ Hospital. When asked about welfare facilities and the office of the banned outfit, he said these had already been closed.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2019