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No strike today: Grand Mufti

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 6/30/2012 2:08:54 PM

SRINAGAR, June 29: Grand Mufti of Kashmir Mufti Bashiruddin today said there will be no strike tomorrow. He urged the people to assist government in conducting the probe ordered to ascertain the circumstances under which fire broke out at the historic shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani (RA).
“I appeal people to help government in investigations and tracing out the culprits”, the Grand Mufti said adding people and stakeholders of the Dargah should provide inputs to the government by investigating into the incident. “People must come forward and identify the culprits”, he said.
The Grand Mufti said there will be no Hartal on Saturday. “We have to keep people’s emotions in mind, however, economy and education of children is also suffering”, the Grand Mufti told KNS over phone.
He held government responsible for the incident of fire. “The Wakf Board belongs to the government. As such it is the responsibility of the government to ensure safety and security of shrines and mosques”, the Grand Mufti said. “The incident of fire was the result of their negligence”, he added and said the government is answerable to people.
The Wakf Board, he said, has left the shrines, mosques and property insecure and unattended. “Many people have encroached upon the Wakf property and the board is doing nothing for its safety and security”, he said. However the Grand Mufti made it clear he has no resentment against the present government led my Omar Abdullah.
Mufti Bashiruddin also castigated the Wakf Board for stalling work on construction of different mosques in valley. “The present government, as soon as it took over, stopped work on these projects”, he said adding the previous government had completed work on one storey of Khankahi Sheikh Hussain but the present government stopped work on it. He appealed the government to get the projects completed under construction by the Wakf Board. He also demanded that the Wakf Board should be run under Sharia rather than under government directions.
The Grand Mufti condemned the Lawaypora incident where reportedly unknown persons desecrated a copy of Quran and also burnt the Alam at the Imam Bargah. “Some people are trying to disrupt peace in the valley”, he said asking the government to identify the culprits at the earliest. He also appealed people not to allow politicization of these unfortunate incidents. He also confirmed to KNS that the government had contacted his office with regard to the incident of fire at the Dastgir Sahib Shrine.
He also condemned the government for putting him under house arrest and stopping him from offering Friday prayers. “This is an attack on our religious freedom”, he said.