Lahore: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore, Zia-ud-Din Ansari Advocate, has strongly condemned the poor administrative arrangements ahead of Basant and demanded that the Punjab government immediately withdraw its decision to allow the festival. He stated that Basant has turned into a deadly activity and permitting it is equivalent to playing with the lives of citizens.Addressing a press conference at Syed Maududi Islamic Centre, Zia-ud-Din Ansari announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would approach the court against Basant and also launch a full-scale public protest. Secretary Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Azhar Bilal and Convener Public Aid Committee Qaiser Sharif were also present on the occasion.The Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore expressed grave concern over the recent incident in Shadbagh where a 24-year-old youth, Bilal Aslam, was critically injured after a kite string hit him. He said that despite the ban, the use of dangerous kite strings continues, resulting in the loss of precious human lives, which clearly reflects the failure of the government.He warned that in case of any loss of life or property during Basant, the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and other concerned administrative officers would be held responsible, while the Chief Minister Punjab should also accept responsibility for any untoward incident.Zia-ud-Din Ansari demanded that if Basant is considered unavoidable, it should not be allowed in densely populated areas and must be restricted strictly to open grounds only. He recalled that in the past, Basant was a one-day event, whereas now it has been extended to three days, turning it into a prolonged and dangerous activity.He further emphasized that responsibilities must be clearly defined before Basant and FIRs should be registered against those found responsible in case of any accident. Criticizing the government’s priorities, he said that instead of wasting Rs 30 billion on Basant celebrations, the government should distribute one hundred thousand helmets free of cost to protect citizens’ lives.During the press conference, he also highlighted the growing inflation, rising prices of sugar and flour, and the lack of public transport in the city, stating that these issues have made life miserable for the common people. He also criticized the police behavior, saying that the state acts as a guardian, not as a force to intimidate citizens.Concluding his address, the Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore reiterated that Jamaat-e-Islami would continue to raise its voice on every forum for the protection of public rights and would persist with its legal and public struggle against Basant.
