Pak NGO moves court seeking security cover for Bhagat Singh death anniversary event

Lahore, March 19

The Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation of Pakistan on Saturday filed a petition in a court here seeking a direction to the federal government to provide fool-proof security cover to a public event on March 23 to mark the 91st death anniversary of the Indian freedom fighter and two of his comrades, amid threats from religious zealots.

The event is to be held at Lahore’s Shadman Chowk where Bhagat Singh along with his two comrades—Rajguru and Sukhdev—were hanged by the British rulers in 1931.

In a petition submitted to the Lahore High Court, Imtiaz Rasid Qureshi, the chairman of Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation, said that every year the death anniversary of Singh is observed at Shadman Chowk, Lahore, by his organisation.

“Applications have been filed with the home department, the district government and police for the provision of a fool-proof security to the event on March 23 to avoid any untoward incident. But the respondents have not decided the applications, as yet,” it said and requested the court to order Lahore Police to ensure security for the event.

Qureshi told PTI here that since the event has a threat from religious zealots, police should provide fool-proof security.

He said the organisation had already launched a campaign to name the Shadman Chowk after Bhagat Singh but the authorities concerned seem to be afraid of a backlash from religious extremists.

Hafiz Saeed’s Jammat-ud-Dawah had warned the government against naming the Chowk after Bhagat Singh.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of the Lahore High Court would take up the petition on Monday.