London – 15 November 2000
Dr Imran Farooq, Convenor of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), while commenting on the permission granted to convert Shaheed Ganj Mosque in Lahore to a Gurdwara stated that this act of Punjabi Establishment is part of the “Greater Punjab Conspiracy”. He pointed out that the mysterious silence of so-called jihadi organisations and religious parties is tantamount to their participation in the conspiracy hatched by the Punjabi Establishment. He said that a few years ago, Mr Altaf Hussain revealed the conspiracy of Greater Punjab that was published in newspapers throughout the country. Today, Mr Altaf Hussain’s revelations are proved correct. Dr Imran Farooq stated that had the Sindh Government allowed a mosque to be converted into a gurdwara or a temple, whole hell would have let loose upon the people of Sindh. The Establishment would not only have condemned the inhabitants of Sindh, as pro-Bharat but would have gone to the extent of declaring them as enemies of Islam. Furthermore, all the so-called jihadi and religious parties would have created heaven and hell against the perpetrators of such permission like they did when the Babri Masjid in India was being converted into Ram Mandir. They even attacked various Hindu temples in Pakistan. Dr Imran Farooq pointed out that Shaheed Ganj Mosque was built by Abdullah Khan during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Abdullah Khan was also appointed as Kotwal of Lahore. Dr Imran Farooq asked the so-called Jihadi and religious parties as to how can they raise objection against converting Babri Masjid to Raam Temple when in their own Islamic Republic of Pakistan, mosques are being replaced with gurdwaras. Instead of lecturing the people of Sindh, particularly Karachi, on jihad and Islam, the so-called jihadi and religious parties should devote their time and attention to the province of Punjab. Majority of the people of Karachi and Sindh by the grace of Allah are Muslims and the act of replacement of mosques with gurdwaras is not taking place in the province of Sindh. Dr Imran Farooq asked the so-called champions of Islam that they are so swift in branding a person as kafir if he questions the two-nation theory concept and ask the definition of Nazaria-e-Pakistan, but they are dumbfounded when Shaheed Ganj Mosque is being converted into a gurdwara. On a crucial matter like this they sit as silent spectators as if their tongues have been severed. He further stated that the Punjabi Establishment working for the Greater Punjab Conspiracy also plans to convert the Badshahi Mosque Lahore and the Shahi Fort of Lahore into gurdwaras as the Sikh leadership has not only thanked the Punjabi Establishment for granting them the permission but they have also demanded permissions to build many more gurdwaras in Punjab so that the historical friendship between Sikhs and Punjabi elite can be further strengthened.
Finally Dr Imran Farooq commented on the bias of Punjabi Establishment and their sycophant writers by relating the incident that when in his study-circle he quoted Allama Iqbal’s poem titled “Raam” from “Bang-e-Daraa”, he was branded as the admirer of Raam whereas the fact is that this poem was written in the admiration of Raam by Allama Iqbal himself and can be read in Bang-e-Daraa. Why the so-called daredevils who were so vociferous have turned lily-livered on the conversion of Shaheed Ganj mosque into a gurdwara.