Pakistan Railways is running trains named 'Special train JuD one' and 'Special train JuD two' to transport people from the southern cities of Karachi and Hyderabad to Lahore for Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed's jihadist congregation on Thursday and Friday, well-placed sources in the railways said.
The JuD event gained prominence as former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had called for a shutdown of Lahore on Thursday. While sources said PTI's Lahore team was not prepared to organize a strike at such short notice, many others believe Khan's party postponed its call for strike on JuD's request and ensure that its two-day programme was not disrupted.
'JuD one', comprising 20 coaches and carrying up to 1,450 people, left the port city of Karachi at 8.15pm on Tuesday, while 'JuD two', comprising nine coaches and carrying about 900 people, left Hyderabad at 10pm the same day.
A senior Karachi-based railway officer told TOI that the decision to run the trains was taken by the department's headquarters in Lahore. "We received a note from the HQ to arrange special trains for JuD," the official said, adding that JuD had paid approximately Rs 5 lakh to Pakistan Railways. "It's a round trip. The trains will bring back all the people, including women and children," he added.
Pakistan Railways spokesman Rauf Tahir said railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafique had given his approval to run the trains after a request from the JuD spokesman.
Apart from Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lahvi, operations commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, the parent organization of JuD, as well as several others have been charged with planning, financing and executing the 26/11 Mumbai carnage that killed 166 people.
"It's not the first time that special trains have been run. Any person who can pay can hire a special train, but he has to make a prior request to the railways headquarters," Tahir said.
JuD workers have erected separate tents for male and female participants at Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan, a favourite venue for Pakistan's mainstream political parties to hold their gatherings. The palace has historical significance as it was here that Mohammed Ali Jinnah-led Muslim League passed the Pakistan resolution in 1940.
JuD organizers expect thousands of supporters from across Pakistan to reach Lahore. The group described the occasion as a milestone in bringing about unity among Muslims, but JuD office bearers told TOI that Kashmir and water disputes between India and Pakistan were on the special agenda of the convention. All religious and political parties have been invited to participate in the event, a JuD spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of seven accused of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the case till December 10 as the judge was on leave.
The JuD event gained prominence as former cricketer and Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had called for a shutdown of Lahore on Thursday. While sources said PTI's Lahore team was not prepared to organize a strike at such short notice, many others believe Khan's party postponed its call for strike on JuD's request and ensure that its two-day programme was not disrupted.
'JuD one', comprising 20 coaches and carrying up to 1,450 people, left the port city of Karachi at 8.15pm on Tuesday, while 'JuD two', comprising nine coaches and carrying about 900 people, left Hyderabad at 10pm the same day.
A senior Karachi-based railway officer told TOI that the decision to run the trains was taken by the department's headquarters in Lahore. "We received a note from the HQ to arrange special trains for JuD," the official said, adding that JuD had paid approximately Rs 5 lakh to Pakistan Railways. "It's a round trip. The trains will bring back all the people, including women and children," he added.
Pakistan Railways spokesman Rauf Tahir said railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafique had given his approval to run the trains after a request from the JuD spokesman.
Apart from Hafiz Saeed, Zakiur Rehman Lahvi, operations commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, the parent organization of JuD, as well as several others have been charged with planning, financing and executing the 26/11 Mumbai carnage that killed 166 people.
"It's not the first time that special trains have been run. Any person who can pay can hire a special train, but he has to make a prior request to the railways headquarters," Tahir said.
JuD workers have erected separate tents for male and female participants at Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan, a favourite venue for Pakistan's mainstream political parties to hold their gatherings. The palace has historical significance as it was here that Mohammed Ali Jinnah-led Muslim League passed the Pakistan resolution in 1940.
JuD organizers expect thousands of supporters from across Pakistan to reach Lahore. The group described the occasion as a milestone in bringing about unity among Muslims, but JuD office bearers told TOI that Kashmir and water disputes between India and Pakistan were on the special agenda of the convention. All religious and political parties have been invited to participate in the event, a JuD spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of seven accused of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of the case till December 10 as the judge was on leave.
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