LAHORE, Feb 27: Jamaat-i-Islami amir Qazi Husain Ahmed was released on Wednesday following the acceptance of his bail application by Anti-Terrorist Court Judge Mahmood Maqbul Bajwa.

He will leave his hospital bed for a few hours on Thursday (today) morning to visit Mansoora to meet Jamaat workers. He will return to hospital after the meetings.

The court ordered the release of the JI amir on furnishing two bail bonds of Rs100,000 each which were furnished accordingly. Qazi Husain Ahmed was not produced in the court because he was indisposed and admitted to hospital.

Qazi Husain Ahmed had been arrested on Jan 28 in a case registered against him and several others in connection with the protest demonstrations on arrival of Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpaee in the provincial metropolis in 1999. All the co-accused named in the FIR had been granted bail.

The court heard arguments on his bail application on Tuesday and reserved judgment. His judicial remand, which was ending on Tuesday, was also extended by one day.

Meanwhile, Qazi Husain Ahmed has proposed observing of a national solidarity day by all religious factions to combat terrorist activities of enemies of Islam.

In a statement issued from the Johar Town hospital before being released on bail on the orders of the Anti-Terrorist Court on Wednesday, the JI amir said that the firing on the Rawalpindi mosque was an anti-Islamic act but the imperialist agents were trying to bring a bad name to the religious elements by giving it a sectarian colour.

He said that the government officials served the interest of the enemy and brought a bad name to Islam by giving a sectarian colour to the acts of terrorism. He called upon the ulema of all the sects to forge unity in their rank and file to face the conspiracy to divide the Muslims by giving a sectarian colour to acts of terrorism.