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Journalism of Courage
Looking to provide an impetus to the track-II peace process, the leader of Opposition in Pakistan and a known hardliner, Maulana Fazlur Rahman arrived in New Delhi on Monday on a five-day private visit during which he will also travel to the Dar-ul-Uloom in Deoband.
Though the schedule is not finalised yet, Rahman, general secretary of the six party alliance of Islamic groups—Muttahinda Majlis-e-Amal—has sought appointments with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of Opposition L K Advani, and former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Fazlur Rahman, who has been elected to Pakistan’s General Assembly since 1988, is being hosted by the Jamiat-Ulema-Hind.
‘‘There have been some fruitful people-to-people interaction at the level of artists between the two countries for sometime now. We want to take this process forward by including the community leaders and politicians. Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s visit is part of this,’’ Mahmmod Madani, Rajya Sabha MP and national president of Jamiat-Ulema-Hind told The Indian Express.
Rahman, famous for his pro-Taliban stance and his anti-America, anti-Musharraf rallies in major Pakistani cities at the time of the US invasion of Afghanistan, will be visiting Deoband and meeting the representatives of Dar-ul-Uloom in his ‘‘private capacity’’ once he is sure of his appointments in Delhi.
‘‘A host of issues including ways to increase people-to-people interaction between the countries will be discussed with the visiting Pakistan leader, which will
give an impetus to the official dialogue process between India and Pakistan,’’ Madani said.
During his visit to Pakistan last year, senior BJP leader L K Advani had met Rahman at the Pakistan General Assembly and held discussions with him. Rahman had visited India in July 2003, and met then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. He had also met leaders of the RSS and VHP during the course of that visit.
jayanth.jacob@expressindia.com
