Mubasher Bukhari

Pakistan foiled a bid of outlawed Millat Islamia (formerly known as Sipah e Sahaba Pakistan) to promote sectarianism and jihad in Pakistan through its student wing by imposing ban on Islamic Students Movement of Pakistan (ISMP).

ISMP is not a new organization but the banned Sipah e Sahaba Students Pakistan with a new name. The SSSP was formed soon after foundation of the banned SSP was laid in Jhang by Late Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi in 1986 at Jhang, a district of central Punjab. The student wing promoted sectarianism in schools and colleges that led to violent clashes in different colleges of Southern and Central Punjab. The Jailed Chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the most feared militant outfit in Pakistan, Akram Lahori was also an activist of the SSSP.

Akram Lahori is being tried in Anti-Terrorist Courts on the charges of killing dozens of Shiites.

When Musharraf-led government banned different sectarian and terrorist organizations in 2001, Sipah-e-Sahaba and its student wing the SSSP were also banned.

The SSP did not give up its sectarian-related activities and again got active with a new name Tehrik-e-Islamia Pakistan while the SSSP also continued activities in different colleges after renaming itself as Dars-e-Quraan Committee. But, the new name did not suit the SSSP leadership as they could not draw public attention towards them.

Now, a group of students belonging to Lahore renamed Dars-e-Quraan Committee as the ISMP and started anti-Iran and anti-Shiite activities, however, the government declared it a terrorist organization and banned it.

Federal Interior Ministry issued a directive to all provincial home departments and security agencies that Islami Students Movement of Pakistan (ISMP) is banned because of its alleged involvement in promoting sectarianism.

According to the directive the organization was established a few years back in Punjab province’s District Jhang, headed by Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi and started distributing literature and CDs against Shiites.