End Arbaeen byroad Restrictions or every road Will Become Karbala, Warns MWM KP

Shiite News: Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial President Allama Jahanzeb Ali Jafri and General Secretary Shabbir Hussain Sajidi, while addressing an emergency press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, termed the ban imposed by the federal government on the journey of Arbaeen pilgrimage to Imam Hussain (AS) by road as a serious attack on the Constitution of Pakistan, religious freedom and the national economy.

In the press conference, in the presence of Allama Irshad Ali, Allama Jamil Shirazi, Allama Sabir Hussain Najafi, Allama Nazir Hussain Motahari and other scholars, organizational leaders and pilgrims’ representatives from across the province, Allama Jahanzeb Ali Jafari announced that if this unconstitutional and immoral ban is not withdrawn immediately, then nationwide protests will be launched on Friday.

He warned that “if pilgrims are prevented from going to Arbaeen by road, then every street, every road and every alley of the Jafari nation of Pakistan will turn into Karbala and the flag of Arbaeen will be raised in every corner of Pakistan.”

He said that pilgrims have always had the convenience of choosing the road route as an alternative to air travel, which makes it possible to visit holy places in Iran and reach Iraq.

Due to this ban, the pilgrims have not only suffered spiritual and religious harm but also suffered a huge financial loss of about 81.66 billion rupees (i.e. 293 million US dollars).

Shabbir Hussain Sajidi demanded that the pilgrims be provided with complete security and facilities as per their constitutional, legal and religious rights. If there is a security issue, it is the failure of the state that it is unable to provide safe passage to its own citizens, a parliamentary inquiry should also be conducted on the government’s actions against the pilgrims.

Allama Jahanzeb Jafri said that when the Kartarpur Corridor is open for Hindu and Sikh pilgrims, why are the gates of Karbala being closed for Shia people?

He demanded that President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir immediately take notice of the ban imposed by Mohsin Naqvi on pilgrimage by road and allow pilgrims to travel by road for Arbaeen pilgrimage.

He categorically declared that if any attempt is made to play with our religious sentiments, we will expand the scope of the protest movement to the whole of Pakistan. This is our constitutional and democratic right from which we will not back down.