Hawzah News Agency- Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside prominent scholars and religious leaders, Senator Jafari said the current atmosphere in Punjab is “heavily marked by lawlessness and police pressure.” He claimed that in the run-up to Arbaeen, police and security officials have entered the homes of mourning organizers, threatening them with legal cases and imprisonment if they set up prayer stations along procession routes.
“Since the founding of Pakistan, the Shiites have suffered more from terrorism than any other group,” Jafari said. “Today, instead of ensuring security, unprecedented restrictions are being imposed on our mourning. In cities like Dera Ismail Khan, Quetta, and Karachi, cemeteries are full of martyrs, yet the government is placing obstacles in the way of our religious rights.”
The Majlis chief stressed that mourning for Imam Hussain (AS) is both a form of worship and a legal right. He accused authorities of making it difficult to hold gatherings, filing complaints against mourning women, and portraying home-based ceremonies as security threats. “At the same time, major celebrations such as the Urs of Bari Imam and Data Darbar are held without such barriers,” he said. “But for Arbaeen, roads are blocked for kilometers under the pretext of security.”
Calling the Arbaeen procession a tradition endorsed by the pure Imams (AS), Jafari noted that mourners travel from distant regions on foot to participate in ceremonies. He said earlier restrictions had already curtailed pilgrimages to Karbala, and now Punjab’s measures prevent people from even walking in local processions. “In many cities, organizers are treated like terrorists, while the label ‘terrorist’ should be reserved for those who commit violence, not for the servants of Hussaini gatherings,” he remarked.
Jafari described the government’s actions as “bigoted and unjust,” adding: “You cannot stop people from mourning. On Independence Day, concerts and celebrations are allowed, yet you impose limits on mourning Imam Hussain (AS). No one has the right to dictate how we observe our religious rites. These measures violate both religious freedoms and Pakistan’s constitution.”
He concluded by vowing that Arbaeen will be marked “with full splendor” despite restrictions. “We do not recognize such bans and will resist with all our strength against this injustice,” he said.
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