Shihab Chottur enters Pakistan to complete his journey on foot to Saudi Arabia for Hajj
Lahore, Feb 7: An Indian national, who was earlier denied a visa by a Pakistani court, entered the country on Tuesday to complete his marathon journey on foot to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj.
Shihab Chottur, 29, arrived in Pakistan via the Wagah border and was welcomed by Sarwar Taj, who had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of Shihab, and Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan chairman Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi.
Qureshi told PTI that Shihab was very happy to get the visa to continue his journey to Mecca.
"He has brought a message of love, friendship and brotherhood," Qureshi said, adding he wanted to organise an event in Shihab's honour on the premises of Lahore High Court but could not do so because of security issues.
Shihab, who hails from Kerala, embarked on a 3,000-km journey on foot in October last year from his home state to the Wagah border where he was stopped by Pakistan's immigration authorities as he did not have a visa.
"Shihab pleaded before the immigration authorities that he was going to perform Hajj on foot and had already travelled 3,000 kms and should be allowed to enter the country on humanitarian grounds. He wanted a transit visa to reach Saudi Arabia via Iran," a Federal Investigation Agency official had said.
Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, considered the holiest city for Muslims.
Taj, a resident of Lahore, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) requesting that Shihab be granted a transit visa to allow him to travel to Saudi Arabia.
He argued that just like the Pakistan government issues visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to take part in the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and on other occasions, it should also grant a visa to Shihab.
The LHC dismissed his petition, observing that the "petitioner was not related to the Indian citizen, nor did he hold his power of attorney to approach the court."
Taj later challenged the decision in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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