Faithful observe Youme Istighfar on JI appeal:Munawar Hassan

Lahore: Youm e Istighfar was observed all over the country on Friday on the appeal of Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Syed Munawar Hasan, with the faithful   praying to Almighty Allah for forgiveness and the Ulema’s appeal to the people to turn away from sins and fashion their lives in accord with the divine teachings.

Syed Munawar Hasan, in his statement on the occasion, said that the country was passing through critical times and the nation was facing a great trial. Despair and despondency had gripped the masses as scores of innocent people were being killed in bomb blasts every day and Karachi, the economic hub of the country had turned into a butchery. The criminals were roaming about freely as there was no one to chain them. The nation stood divided on petty, parochial grounds. The outgoing rulers had built palaces for themselves and plundered billions through unlawful means while the masses were left high and dry. The price hike was nothing short of divine punishment to the people. On the other hand, the country’s independence and sovereignty faced serious threats.

All these factors required the people to bow before Allah in all sincerity and seek forgiveness and also resolve to elect honest and upright people in the next elections so that the next government could deliver in the best possible manner, he added.

Chief of the Jamiat e Ittehad ul Ulema, Pakistan, Maulana Abdul Ma’lik, in his address to the Friday congregation at Mansoora mosque, said that 65 years back, the nation had prayed to Allah Almighty for a piece of land where it could practice the golden Islamic teachings. Allah Almighty was kind to grant such a piece of land but most unfortunately, the nation not only forgot its pledge but also voted to power such people who were enemies of Islam and Pakistan. These rulers plundered the public exchequer and burdened the nation with huge foreign loans. The nation would have to seek forgiveness from Allah in right earnest and bring to power people of integrity and competence who could run this country on true Islamic lines and the Pakistan ideology,  thus protecting the people’s rights.

Director, Idare Ma’raf e Islami, Hafiz Muhammad Idrees, in his address at the Syed Maudoodi Institute mosque,  said that the situation in the country had gone so worse that no citizen felt himself secure. This was because there was no rule of law and those in power misused their authority for selfish ends. The society was full of all sorts of crime and could not be termed as civilized. Therefore, he said, it was imperative that the conscientious people came forward for bringing about a change. He was sure that the situation would change for the better but added that this required a change of heart both at individual and collective level.