PRESS RELEASE

 India must take all steps to avoid war with Pakistan – Jamaat chief

1 Oct, New Delhi: The President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari urged India to take all possible steps to avoid war with Pakistan. Addressing the media at Jamaat’s monthly press conference in New Delhi, the JIH chief strongly condemned the terror attack at the army camp in Uri town of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed grief over the killing of soldiers in the attack. Maulana Umari said that: ‘’we must find out how this breach of security occurred and devise ways to curb such incidents in the future. Jamaat feels that both India and Pakistan must show wisdom and sincerity using the path of dialogue and consultation in order to resolve their issues. War is not a panacea for our problems. India must take all steps to avoid war with Pakistan’’, remarked the JIH chief.

Earlier the Secretary General of JIH, Muhammad Salim Engineer briefed the media regarding harassment of minorities in Assam in name of anti-immigrant drive. Salim Engineer said that: ‘’Jamaat-e-Islami Hind strongly condemns the BJP government in Assam for harassing Muslims in the state under the guise of conducting anti-illegal immigrant drive. A large number of Bengali speaking people (majority of which are Muslim) have been detained and many even put in jail without proper investigation or enquiry’’. The Jamaat Secretary General also voiced his concern at the slow and tardy pace of investigation by the Haryana police into the murder of a Muslim couple and the gang rape of their two nieces in Dingerheri village in Mewat. One of the Mewat gang rape victims recently alleged that their attackers were cow vigilantes but the Haryana police said no evidence has come to fore. Also the rape victim had stated that the accused had confronted them about whether they ate beef. But again this fact has been omitted from the statement recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC. Jamaat remains very critical of the way in which the case has been handled which has led to a perception that the Haryana government is trying to shield the culprits and side with a particular community.’’ The other areas of concern raised in the press meet by Jamaat were the low ranking of India in recent health index and the unemployment rate in India which has shot up to a five-year high of 5 % in 2015-16. Jamaat feels that this data is a direct proof of the failure of the Central government which came to power on development agenda.

Issued by Media Department, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind