Lucknow: Ruling out giving up claim on the
mosque in Ayodhya, the Sunni Central Waqf Board Thursday said
exploring possibilities for an amicable solution to the
dispute without a concrete proposal was a "futile exercise".
The Board also said that the proposal should be within
the framework of Shariat (Islamic law) and felt that the
threat by the oldest litigant, Mohammed Hashim Ansari, to pull
out will have not impact on the case.
"Talking about an amicable solution to an age-old
dispute without any concrete proposal is a futile exercise.
This issue can only be sorted out when claim of Muslims is
upheld. We can not surrender our claim," the Board`s Counsel
Zafaryab Jilani said.
"It should come from the opposite party and submitted
before the Sunni Waqf Board. We are not going to give any
proposal," Jilani said.
"Whosoever is exploring the possibilities of an
amicable solution let him do so. If asked, we will clearly say
that we will not give any proposal," he said when asked to
comment on the exercise being carried out by Hashim Ansari for
an out-of-court settlement.
On Ansari`s allegation that some persons were
conspiring against him, Jilani said that he was probably being
provoked by some persons. "I have neither said anything
against him nor met him".
Ansari had yesterday sought an apology from Jilani for
terming him as a common litigant in the case.
"Being a simple litigant means that I merely carry
bags. It is an attack on prestige and an insult. I only
intended to douse flames of fundamentalism at any cost and
Jilani can not become a hindrance for me," Ansari had said.
Jilani said, "There is no point of saying anything
against Ansari, let alone threatening him".
On Ansari`s threat to pull out, the Sunni Waqf
Board counsel said that it will have no impact on the case.
"There are five parties from the Muslim side. If
Ansari pulls out then four are still left. They will move the
Supreme Court," he said.
Jilani said that he still stands by his earlier
statement that space was still left for settlement.
"Even today I say that doors are still open for
settlement. But the point is that this issue can only be
sorted out when a person honestly wants to resolve it," he
said.
PTI
