Caretaker Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah said on Sunday that May-9 mayhem did not reflect anger of some so-called political activists but anti-state mindset.
Talking to the media after visiting the Jinnah House (Corps Commanders House in Lahore Cantt), he said that those who had burnt the house and pictures of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on May 9 could neither be regarded as responsible citizens nor patriots. He said that on May 9, memorials of martyrs, iconic fighter jet of MM Alam, and the statue of martyred Captain Sher Khan were put on fire and vandalised by unruly mobs. He said those who had burnt the sensitive installations were zombies as they had zero per cent ability to apply their own mind. Jamal Shah said: Our elders teach us the lesson of patience and advocate to make our surroundings clean and prosperous. He added that those who were involved in the violent incidents of May 9 would be brought to justice at all costs, as the people of Pakistan would never forget the painful day. He said that he had visited the burnt building of Radio Pakistan where a stock of heritage information from 1935 were collected, but felt sad to see the present condition of the heritage site. The caretaker minister said the country was facing critical situation these day and collectively efforts from all stakeholders were needed to make it developed and prosperous.
He said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was developing a park named Bagh-e-Shuhada in F-9 sector in Islamabad where 22 statues and monuments of Shuhada would be placed and the park would be inaugurated on Sept 6, the Defence of Pakistan Day. He mentioned that the initiative was taken to pay tribute to the martyrs of the armed forces of the country.
Caretaker Federal Minister for National Heritage & Culture Syed Jamal Shah has said the Jaranwala incident was a major tragedy which saddened all patriotic Pakistanis. It was a very shameful act and regrettably it was committed by those who called themselves Muslims.
I am ashamed and apologise to the Christina community over this incident, he said during his visit to Isa Nagri in Jaranwala and an interaction with the locals and the media on Saturday.
The caretaker minister said that teachings of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were very obvious and not only a philosopher but also a common man could understand it easily. He said Pakistan was a peaceful land despite having diverse ethnic communities and religions. He regretted that intentionally the peaceful combination was distorted by sowing thorns in this land and “now we are facing its ill impacts”.
He said “we lived in the diversity. Many of my teachers and friends were Christians, Hindus, Parsi. But our Indus culture narrative had taught us that we are a bouquet of diversity and our difference was a beauty of the land where flowers of all kinds grow”. He said Pakistan was a most peaceful land in the region. It was the land of Sufis who prohibited strictly from injuring feelings of any person. He quoted a proverb in Pashto that I am a Muslim but my friend is a Hindu. Therefore, I am ready to sweep his place of worship for the sake of my friend and said that it was a pity that thorns were intentionally sown for the last four decades to disturb peace of the land.
