The district administration of Attock has taken a major step to maintain law and order, promote communal and religious harmony, and ensure public safety during Muharram by imposing a 90-day ban on 35 scholars and zakirin from delivering speeches. Additionally, 67 ulema and zakireen have been barred from entering, staying, speaking, or participating in any gathering within Attock district limits.
Decision Based on Intelligence Reports
According to an order issued by Deputy Commissioner Attock Rao Atif Raza, the decision was made in light of reports from District Police Officer Attock Sardar Mavarhan Khan, Special Branch, and recommendations from the Divisional Intelligence Coordination Committee (DICC) meeting. The reports raised concerns that speeches by certain individuals could heighten communal tension and disrupt public order.
List of Banned Scholars
The 35 scholars prohibited from delivering speeches include Maulana Habibullah, Mufti Inamullah, Maulana Tariq, Shahzad Chishti, Rafaqat Haqqani, Zia Ahmed Noorani, Mudassar Shah, Qari Muhammad Anwar Shakir, Qari Muhammad Riaz, Hafiz Nusrat Khan, Qari Chan Muhammad, Maulana Obaidur Rehman, Maulana Mehdi Shah Zaman, Ehsanul Haq Jami, Maulana Hussain Ahmed, Syed Amjad Hussain Shah, Jahan Khan, Maulana Iftikhar Ahmed Farooqi, Qari Muhammad Sharif, Mufti Nasir Ali, Qari Muhammad Hayat, Maulana Zakaria Kaleemullah, Qari Mushtaq, Qari Sakhawat Hussain, Waqar Hussain Karbalai, Professor Najmul Hassan, Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, Saqib, Mureed Imran, Maulana Nasiruddin, Ashfaq Shakir, Qari Ghulam Haider, Maulana Muhammad Asif, Maulana Abdul Rashid, and Amjad Hussain.
Legal Framework and Duration
Deputy Commissioner Attock exercised powers under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960. The order directs these individuals not to make any speech, address, or activity within Attock district that could hurt sentiments of any school of thought, spread hatred, or disturb public order. The ban remains in force for 90 days.
Second List of Barred Individuals
Additionally, a separate ban prohibits the entry, stay, speeches, and participation in any gathering for 67 scholars, including Shabbir Ahmed Usmani, Maulana Abdul Qadeer, Maulana Muhammad Tayyab, Maulana Sajid-ur-Rehman, Maulana Abdul Shakoor, Maulana Abdul Majeed Hazarvi, Maulana Khizr Hayat Bhakrovi, Maulana Abu Bakr Chishti, Maulana Muhammad Hanif Qureshi, Allama Azizuddin Kakab, Maulana Ghufran Sialvi, Maulvi Mohiuddin Kazmi, Muhammad Fayyaz, Qari Asad Irfan, Zakir Sajid Ali, Maulana Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, Qari Umar Farooq, Ijaz Ahmed Dar, Shakeel Dar, Zaheer Ahmed Muawiya, Babar Hussain Shah, Syed Asghar Ali Bukhari, Hafiz Gulzar Ahmed, Qari Akhtar Hussain, Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi, Maulana Mufti Omar Haideri, Maulana Manzoor Ahmed Jhangvi, Maulana Muawiya Azam Tariq, Masroor Nawaz, Maulana Shahadat Ali, Tahir Jhangvi, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Jhangvi, Zakir Syed Zargham Abbas, Maulana Ishaq Turabi, Maulana Ibrahim Shah alias Ali Muawiya Shah, Zakir Muhammad Hasnain Shah, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Ghuman, Maulana Muhammad Tayyab, Maulana Shahid Masood, Maulana Attaullah Bandialvi, Maulana Yousaf Rizvi, Zakir Syed Zeigham Abbas, Zakir Syed Abid Hussain Shah, Maulana Manzoor Hussain Naqvi, Zakir Nazar Hussain, Professor Abid Hussain Abidi, Maulana Islamuddin Usmani, Syed Sajjad Haider, Maulana Muhammad Rafiq Jami, Syed Murtajas Rizvi, Maulana Jafar Jatoi, Zakir Muhammad Nawaz, Zakir Zeigham Abbas, Ali Hussain Qomi, Malik Ijaz Hussain, Maulana Ismatullah Khan Multani, Qari Kaleemullah Multani, Hafiz Muhammad Hussain Chinioti, Zakir Atta Hussain Rangar, Allama Syed Nasir Abbas, Maulana Abdul Aziz, Mufti Saeed Ahmed Usmani, Hafiz Atta-ur-Rehman, Aurangzeb Farooqui, Jamil Hussain Jafri, Maulana Zulfiqar Haider Naqvi, Allama Shahenshah Naqvi, and Zakir Imran Kazmi.
Reasoning and Enforcement
The order states that reports indicate these individuals' activities pose a risk of sectarian tension and law and order problems. Therefore, the ban was imposed under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960 to ensure public peace and protect life and property. The district administration clarified that all necessary steps will be taken to promote peace, religious tolerance, and interfaith harmony during Muharram, and legal action will be taken against violators without discrimination.
