Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Sindh Secretary General Rashid Mahmood Soomro on Wednesday dared Supreme Court Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to implement the top court’s order to demolish illegally constructed mosques in Karachi.
On Tuesday, the apex court ordered to demolish a mosque, shrine and cemetery built on amenity parks’ land near Tariq Road.
A division bench, headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin, heard a case against the construction of Madinah Mosque and other encroachments on the land meant for a park in Tariq Road at the Supreme Court Karachi Registry.
District Municipal Corporation Administrator East maintained that the mosque was constructed on park land. CJP Gulzar expressed anger over the land still being occupied, reprimanding the district administrator over Karachi’s condition. Khawaja Shams, the mosque administration’s counsel, said that the land was obtained from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation through auction. However, he claimed that a new mosque was being built in its stead.
“Assistant Commissioner Asma Batool has built a mausoleum and a graveyard to add fuel to sectarian rift. Bismillah mosque was also built overnight to sow sectarianism,” the lawyer stated. “Mr chief justice the mosques are not orphans… Mr chief minister the mosques are not orphans… if you have the courage then show it and try bulldozing the mosque,” Soomro said in a video that went viral on social media.
He went on to say that till the day he was alive, he will never let “even a single brick of any mosque in Karachi be demolished”.
“We will stop you on the way [to the mosque]… if the mosques are demolished, your offices will also be demolished,” JUI-F leader warned. He also dared Commissioner Karachi to implement the apex court’s order to demolish illegal mosques.
