Grade-19 DMG officer Khaqan Babar, assisted by four other government officials, has taken charge of the Da’awa’s provincial welfare wing comprising 10 educational institutions, two hospitals and 19 dispensaries, which are located at Lahore, Faisalabad. Gujranwalla, Multan, Sheikhupura and Sialkot. With this, the newly-posted government administrator took over the 75-acre compound, and police post has been set-up as well where the number of police personnel has been increased as well. For other organisations, administrators have been posted in their respective areas.
According to an official, all assets and properties of the Da’awa in the province were now under the government's control. Most of the assets, offices and operations of the group are in the Punjab. The administrator and other officials will try to gauge and map out the extent of the Da’awa’s operations — especially its bank accounts, which Pakistan had ordered frozen already.
Secretary Home Nadeem Hassan Asif said the posting of the administrator was to ensure that nothing extra was taught or propagated, which could harm the national interest. “The Da’awa can continue its welfare activities as these are people-oriented and for the public at large, and can run its institutions by teaching the syllabi approved by the provincial educational authorities,” he said maintaining that the administrators would keep on looking after the Da’awa’s affairs till the government was satisfied and
certain that nothing beyond the prescribed role would be done.With this, 10 educational institutions and two hospitals located at different districts of the province have been put under the administrative control of the provincial government. No official documents were given to the Da’awa’s office bearers, while no resistance was offered at the Markaz, which is situated at 25 kilometres off the provincial capital, and better known to the world as the headquarter of much-praised and equally stigmatised Da’awa.
Commissioner Lahore Division Khusro Pervaiz Khan, accompanied by Deputy Inspector General Sheikhupura Range Ch Tanveer Ahmed, District Coordination Officer Sheikhupura Salman Ejaz and District Police Officer Sheikhupura Osama Mumtaz, with about two-dozen police vans, reached the Markaz at about 10 am.
According to Chief Coordination of Da’awa Hafiz Khalid Waleed told Daily The Nation that Khusro Pervaiz met Deputy Chief Da’awa Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki at the Markaz, and told him about the government orders of taking control of the institutions and hospital and setting up of a police post at the main entrance of the Markaz. “The visiting officers were taken around and shown three educational institutions and a hospital, located at the premises. No resistance was offered to the government officers, as we did not want to. However, we have the right to move the competent court against the curbs and efforts being made at curtailing one of the best known welfare institutions of the country, which has been applauded by the UNO even for its work after October 8,2005 earthquake,” said Hafiz Khalid adding that the previous regime of General (r) Pervez Musharraf was a stooge of the US government, but the present incumbents had stooped to the lowest level by accepting the conditions of India, which at best had been only accusing Pakistan for allowing ‘non-state elements’ to use its land for terrorism.
“Earlier, other provinces had already taken control of the Da’awa’s institutions, after the Federal government issued directions in this regard. In Sind, five schools, one hospital and 20 dispensaries, and two schools and 15 dispensaries in NWFP were placed under the direct control of the respective provincial administrations. Moreover, the Balochistan government, besides taking control of one school and five dispensaries, had taken possession of relief goods worth millions of rupees meant for earthquake victims. When people protested against this, they were indicted in treason cases,” said Hafiz Khalid. He also said 150 dispensaries in the Punjab had already been closed down, while the 170-van ambulance service had been made inoperational.
An official source asserted that the Punjab was the last province to take control of the Da’awa’s welfare wing, as it was resisting the federal government’s directions in this regard. Nadeem Hassan Asif out rightly rejected this by terming it baseless. “The Punjab was the first to ban Da’awa’s publications, seal its offices and arrest its leaders,” he added.
According to another source, Khusro Pervaiz Khan went to residence of Chief Da’awa Hafiz Muhammad Saeed at about 3 pm on Sunday, and stayed with him for an hour for a one-on-one meeting. He also reviewed the security arrangements made at Hafiz’s residence. However, Khusro Pervaiz was not available for comments.
Sundays’ action is said to be part of the nationwide slamming of restrictions and taking control of the institutions run by the Da’awa since the Mumbai attacks on November 26, and consequent ban imposed by the United Nations on December 11 last year.
The same day Da’awa’s chief Hafiz Saeed and his five leading companions were put under house arrest, while 124 others were arrested from across the country and put behind bars under the 16 MPO. Besides this, 15 others were brought under the 4th schedule of the Criminal Procedure Code; thereby making them remain within the vicinity of their residences and report to the concerned police station in the mornings and evenings.
Da’awa’s leaders were arrested initially for one month, but later on January 10, their detention period was extended by another sixty days.
Da’awa’s leaders were arrested initially for one month, but later on January 10, their detention period was extended by another sixty days.
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