LAHORE, Feb 23: The Jamaat-i-Islami on Sunday took out a procession from its headquarters in Mansoora to protest against the impending US attack on Iraq.

The demonstrators made their way towards the Multan Road Chungi, carrying banners and placards and chanting slogans against the US for preparing to invade Iraq in violation of all international laws.

Speaking on the occasion, JI secretary-general Syed Munawar Hasan chided US President George Bush for declaring Hekmatyar as a terrorist and seizing his assets. He regretted that Bush was patronizing the crimes perpetrated by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon, who was daily killing Palestinians.

Terming Bush, Sharon and Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee as an axis of evil, he said they were responsible for terrorism across the world.

He deplored various ministers’ statements on abiding by the UN Security Council resolutions, saying that the rulers should have called Washington an oppressor and Iraq an innocent state.

He said the rulers had experienced that their support for the US in invasion of Afghanistan did not prove beneficial for the country.

“The country has already been handed over to the FBI. Air bases are being occupied by US forces. I warn the rulers that they should not turn the country into a US colony,” he said.

Punjab JI president Hafiz Mohammad Idrees said that they were ready to face the attack of disbelievers. He said they would continue their fight in streets and on roads and on the floor of the parliament to force the rulers into giving up their submission to Washington.

He said as the whole world had announced their opposition to the war designs of Bush, Americans should stop their leader from aggression against a sovereign state.

He warned the rulers that if they supported the US in the Security Council, they would not be allowed to rule the country any further.

He demanded that a probe should be conducted into the air chief place crash and its findings made public.

Terming the Karachi incident a terrorist act, he said the six-party religious alliance, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, had converted its district organizations into peace committees to maintain peace during Muharram.

Meanwhile, the Jamaat also held Quran Khwani at Masjid Shuhada on The Mall for the PAF chief and other officers killed in the crash near Kohat.