Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Attends Rally with Banned Group Leaders
LAHORE – May 29, 2024 – The Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker has found himself at the center of a political firestorm after attending a rally alongside leaders of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) group in Kasur. The event, which took place on May 28, saw the Speaker deliver a speech, raising concerns and drawing criticism due to the official ban on JuD. The Speaker’s actions, and also his defense of them, are now under scrutiny by regional and international bodies, sparking further investigation into the details of their interactions.
pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Attends Rally with Banned Group Leaders
Lahore-Malik Ahmad Khan, teh speaker of Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly, has stirred controversy by sharing a stage with leaders of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a banned group led by Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks. Khan, a prominent figure in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), reportedly has close ties with the military.
The Rally and Key Attendees
The rally, held in Kasur on May 28, saw Khan delivering what has been described as a fiery speech. He reportedly criticized Indian leadership and characterized the Pahalgam terror attack as a false flag operation.
- Key attendees:
- Saifullah Kasuri (JuD Leader)
- Hafiz Talha (Hafiz Saeed’s son)
- Saad Hussain Rizvi (Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Chief)
Did you know? Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) is considered by many international bodies to be a front institution for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a group responsible for numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
speaker’s Defense
When questioned by journalists about his presence at the JuD rally, Khan defended his actions. He questioned the basis for considering Saifullah Kasuri a suspect, stating:
How come he (Saifullah) be a suspect without evidence?
Khan further elaborated on Pakistan’s stance regarding the Pahalgam incident, claiming:
Pakistan had asked India to provide evidence of its involvement in the Pahalgam incident. But it did not. We had also offered a neutral body to probe into the matter, which it also rejected. It preferred attacking Pakistan, which retaliated and in just hours gave a befitting response to it.
He justified his attendance by stating that the rally occurred within his constituency, providing him a platform to promote peace.
JuD’s response
Saifullah kasuri expressed gratitude towards Khan for his participation in the rally organized by Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), the political wing of the banned group. Kasuri stated:
We are grateful to Malik Ahmad Khan for his bold and effective response to the baseless allegations regarding his attending the PMML rally in Kasur (some 50 km from Lahore, on May 28),
Saifullah Kasuri
Kasuri challenged the Indian government to present any evidence against him at an international forum.
Pro Tip: Understanding the nuances of political affiliations and past contexts is crucial when analyzing events in regions with complex geopolitical landscapes. Always consider multiple perspectives and verify facts from diverse sources.
Broader Implications
The attendance of top military,police,and civilian officials at the funerals of three JuD operatives,killed in alleged Indian strikes on JuD headquarters in muridke on May 7,has also raised eyebrows. The presence of a high-ranking PML-N politician at the JuD rally suggests a level of support from the military-backed establishment in both the central government and Punjab province, despite the group being officially banned in Pakistan.
