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ISLAMABAD, October 25: A representative delegation of Tehreek e Nifaz e Fiqah Jafariya (TNFJ) has met with the Federal Interior Minister Brig (r ) Ijaz Shah and discussed about the problems faced by the followers of Maktab e Tashayyo while also recommended solutions to resolve them. The Interior Minister carefully listened to the demands and suggestions of TNFJ and assured concrete actions for their resolution. The delegation comprised of Speaker TNFJ Syed Bu Ali Mehdi, Secretary Azadari Cell Syed Hassan Kazmi, Allama Raja Bisharat Hussain Imami, Allama Tasawar Hussain Naqvi and Malik e Ashter. The delegation stressed that Tehreek e Nifaz e Fiqah Jafariya Pakistan is the only representative organization of Shia community which always raised the voice of Shia rights in a positive manner to thwart the perception of Pakistan being a sectarian state. The only agreement between Maktab e Tashayyo and the government of Pakistan is the “Moosavi-Junejo Agreement” of 21^st May 1985 which was signed between the Chief of Tehreek e Nifaz e Fiqah Jafariya Quaid e Millat e Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi and the then Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo while according to this agreement all religious processions were exempted from all kind of restrictions and guaranteed actions on the demands of Maktab e Tashayyo however, several are still unaddressed. Highlighting the problems faced by Zaireen, the delegation pointed out the issues and loopholes in securing Visas, immigration process, and traveling arrangements for Zaireen. The delegation stressed for implementation of Ziarat suggestions presented by TNFJ to facilitate Zaireen which also include resumption of train and ship services besides providing tax-free low-cost air travel options. The delegation alerted the Federal Interior Minister that the management of Zaireen’s travelling is delegated to a group that is also declared as proscribed by the Interior Ministry due to involvement in terrorist activities and termed the move as a violation of National Action Plan. The delegation also highlighted that Maktab e Tashayyo is deprived of its true representation in the state institutions including Islamic ideology Council, Royat e Hilal Committee, Muttahida Ulama Boards, Quran Board and inter-faith peace committees in the center as well as at provincial levels which on one hand is causing sense of deprivation among the followers of Fiqah Jafariya in the country while also harming the repute of those institutions. The delegation also expressed concerns on the activities of proscribed groups still operating under old or new names while their members are also appointed in state institutions including Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), Royat e Hilal Committee and Ulama boards while some of them have also been participating in electoral politics. The delegation also presented a list of Azadari issues related to the Majalis and Jaloos e Aza reported to the TNFJ’s Muharram Committee Azadari Cell from different parts of the country and demanded to instruct administrative authorities to resolve them. The delegation of Tehreek e Nifaz e Fiqah Jafariya Pakistan also discussed the issue of booking peaceful people of Maktab e Tashayyo in Schedule-IV and demanded to remove their names from the lists as they were mostly booked as a punishment for having ideological or political differences during the periods of previous governments. The matter of registering FIRs against traditional Majalis and Jaloos in different parts of the country was also brought to the Federal Interior Minster’s notice where the law enforcement agencies have either missed or mistakenly omitted the programs from their official schedule. The lists of such FIRs were presented to the Minister for resolution of disputes. The delegation of TNFJ Pakistan also raised the issues of eliminating identities of certain shrines that included the Imambargah of Darbar Sakhi Mehmood Badshah Shrine in Aabpara, Bari Shah Lateef (Bari Imam) shrine in Islamabad, the shrine of Badshah Anwar in Lower Aurakzai agency and Kotli Imam Hussain (A.S) in D.I.Khan and stressed to resolve issues caused by the malpractice of inefficiencies of Auqaaf board. The delegation also demanded the government to ensure fool proof security arrangements for the upcoming programs of Meelad un Nabi that will be held from 12^th to 17^th Rabi ul Awal celebrated as Hafta e Wahdat o Akhuwat.  The delegation also discussed the issues of hate speech and blasphemous posts still running on internet and social media pages due to lack of actions from the cyber-crimes control department of the government. TNFJ also regretted for not setting up the Muharram Control Rooms in Federal Interior Ministry unlike previous years. The Federal Interior Minister Brig (r ) Ijaz Shah assured the delegation of his consensus as well as concrete subsequent actions to address demands and resolve problems presented by the TNFJ’s delegation.

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