Pakistan accords grand welcome to fugitive radical preacher Zakir Naik

Islamabad, Sep 30 (IANS) Zakir Naik, the controversial religious figure who is wanted by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his involvement in unlawful activities and promoting religious hatred, arrived in Islamabad on Monday as he began his 15-day tour of the country at the invitation of the government led by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Naik, a wanted fugitive in India, and his son Sheikh Fariq Zakir were given a warm welcome by a number of senior government officials as he landed at the Islamabad International Airport.

He was received by Pakistani Prime Minister's Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashood, Syed Attaur Rehman (Additional Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony), Shamshir Ali Mazari (Parliamentary Secretary for Religious Affairs) and several other government officials.

Naik is scheduled to stay in Pakistan till October 28, during which he will be holding public gatherings in major cities of the country including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

During his stay, he will also lead Friday prayers in the country besides holding meetings with senior government officials, including PM Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah and various other religious leaders.

As per his schedule, Naik will address public gatherings in Karachi on October 5 and 6. Later he will travel to Lahore and hold public gatherings on October 12 and 13, which would be followed by public gatherings in capital Islamabad on October 19 and 20.

Naik's public gathering in Lahore will be held at the historical venue Minar-e-Pakistan, Bagh-e-Quaid in Karachi and at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad. The topic of discussion at these gatherings would be 'The Purpose of Life – Is it important to learn and understand the Quran?' as he and his son will also hold lectures in all the three cities in separate events.

The visit has already raised eyebrows in India as Naik is a wanted fugitive who has been living in Malaysia for many years. He is wanted on charges for spreading religious hate and extremism along with alleged involvement in money laundering cases.

In 2017, Bangladesh authorities claimed that one of the attackers on a cafe in Dhaka was inspired by Zakir Naik. The incident had left 22 people dead.

While he enjoys widespread support across Pakistan, there are many religious voices from different sects who do not agree with Naik and contradict his standing as a religious preacher.

Naik's preferred destination after being asked to leave India was Pakistan. However, he decided to move to Malaysia and reasoned that India would have labeled him as an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent had he moved to Pakistan back then.

The visit has once again given New Delhi another opportunity to establish its claims that Pakistan continues to welcome and facilitate entities and individuals, who are wanted in India.

The Pakistan government has, in fact, provided Naik with a state protocol and his movement in all the three major cities will take place under foolproof security.

The visit of Naik has already generated a significant interest and his public gatherings and lectures are expected to be attended by large crowds.

"Dr. Naik's visit will be a big event in Pakistan but it will further stretch the ties with India. India has already been claiming that Pakistan is a safe haven for people like Osama Bin Laden, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim and others who have an anti-India agenda. Now with Naik being welcomed in the country, it will further add to India's case and accusations against Pakistan," political analyst Kamran Yousaf told IANS, earlier this month.