The Riots of 1953 — Page 28
28 32. The Central Government was perhaps of the view that the maintenance of law an d order was the primary duty of the Pro- vincial Government and therefore it was not called upon to take any direct steps to put down the agitation. On the 22nd of Janu- ary, 1953, the Ulema decided to fix the time-limit by which the Central Government must concede their demands, failing which they would launch “Direct Action”. A council of Action was also set up to implement this decision. The proceedings of the Coun- cil of Action were widely published both in the press and from the platform. Jamaat-i-Islami was also very active in cleverly fan- nin g the flames of unrest and agitation. On the 30th of January, 1953, in a public meeting which was held outside Mochi Gate, Lahore, Maulana Abul Aala Mamudi said that if the demands of the people were not accepted the matter very possibly would as- sume more serious form than the Hindu Muslim disturbances of 1947. 40 The reference to Hindu Muslim Disturbances described by the Maulana is too patent to be missed. The Ahrar Mujahids or the so - called warriors of Islam signed the recruiting forms with their blood. 41 The Government still looked on. However the time expired on the 26th of February 1953 and the Direct Action start- ed at Karachi. The residence of the Prime Minister was besieged and stoned. It was at that time that the realization of the gravity of the situation d a wned on the Central Government and they announced that these groups were in alliance with the enemy and that they had donned the cloak of religion only as a ruse. 33. It may now be briefly stated that in this connection rep- resentations were made by the Ahmadiyya Community both to 40 The Kausar, 1st Feb. 1953. The Azad, 31. 1. 53. 41 The Azad, dated 8. 2. 53.