LAHORE, July 3: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan has decided to immediately launch a drive to mobilize its workers for the forthcoming elections.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s central leaders held here with Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani in the chair.

The meeting was attended by general secretary Gen KM Azhar, Pir Ijaz Hashmi, Syed Mahfooz Mashhadi, Chaudhry Yaqoob and Qari Zawwar Bahadur.

The Qari said the decision was necessary to create tolerance among the workers for activists of other religious parties in the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. He said party leaders would immediately take a tour of the country to reach each and every JUP activist within the current month.

The meeting strongly condemned the gang-rape of a poor man’s daughter in Jatoi and demanded exemplary punishment for the guilty.

It also expressed concern over the rising inflation and asked the government to provide relief to the people instead of adding to their miseries.

Through another resolution, it condemned the partiality of the United Nations and inaction of Muslim rulers over massacre of Palestinians by Israelis.

It also demanded continuation of political and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom from India.

Speaking at the meeting, Maulana Noorani said non-government organizations and secular elements were promoting vulgarity in Pakistan to distance its new generation from Islam and Jihad. He said religious forces would foil their nefarious designs.

He said religious parties and activists were being pushed into a blind alley. This, he said, was not a good omen for the future of the country.