AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Punjab provincial government of Pakistan, by issuing an official notification, banned the speeches of Allama Muhammad Amin Shahidi, a Shia scholar and head of the Pakistan Ummah Party, across the province for 15 days.
According to the Punjab Home Department, he will not be permitted to deliver speeches at mourning gatherings, including in Islamabad and throughout Punjab. This comes while Shahidi had been delivering speeches at three Muharram gatherings in the city of Multan.
This move by the Punjab government has drawn widespread criticism from public circles, and it is reported that the Multan local administration has also communicated this Home Department order to him.
On the other hand, Syed Hamza Sabzwari, spokesperson for Pakistan's Imamia Students Organization, described the decision as "shameful" and called for its immediate revocation.
He emphasized, "The days of mourning are the best opportunity to convey the message of Imam Hussein (a.s.) and introduce true Islam to the Islamic nation. Restricting influential Shia figures during these days serves the interests of takfiri and anti-security currents and can disrupt the country's stability and security."
The spokesperson for the Imamia Students Organization also warned that if this ban is not lifted, protests will continue from all pulpits and gatherings.
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