Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Being an important member of a committee formed to negotiate with protesters holding sit-in at Faizabad Interchange, State Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat avoided appearing in a press conference held the other day.

Religious groups, led by Tehreek-e-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan, are holding a sit-in at Faizabad Interchange from the last 10 days, and have been demanding the removal of Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid from his position, calling for an inquiry against him over a recent legislation that was later reversed by the government about Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.

The government had picked three ministers to talk with the protesters soon after they reached the federal capital. The committee consists of State Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat, State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudry and State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

The committee has been actively rendering its services to reach a peaceful agreement through negotiations and talks but failed to achieve its goals so far. Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat, who has a ‘Barelvi’ background, is a key member of the said committee as the majority of protesters and their leadership belongs to the same Barelvi school of thought. He was being considered as a bridge between the government and the protesters. However, his absence from a press conference held at the Press Information Department raised the eyebrows of the circles concerned because sources confirmed his presence in the federal capital on that day.

A reliable source inside the Ministry of Religious Affairs while talking to Daily Times said that the state minister was available in Islamabad but he intentionally avoided appearing in the press conference against a religious party belonging to his own sect.

“He avoided sitting in the press conference as it was expected that his colleagues would strictly criticise the protesters and their leaders, which happened later,” he added.

He said that there was no role of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf in the whole dialogue with protesters, but he was asked to address the press conference when Pir Ameen Ul Hasnat did not show up.

When contacted, Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat was unavailable to comment. However, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Imran Sadiqui, said “Pir sahib” was in Islamabad but he was not part of the press conference due to his “commitment” elsewhere.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Pir Muhammad Amin Ul Hasnat also visited one of the famous shrines of the twin cities named Golra Sharif and sought the help of its custodian on the situation that emerged after the sit-in at Faizabad Interchange.

Published in Daily Times, November 16^th 2017.