March 1, 2003	Saturday	Zul Hijjah 27, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Feb 28: A large number of activists of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and students of religious seminaries took out a rally here on Friday against the possible US onslaught on Iraq.

The PML-N leaders — Raja Zafarul Haq, Javed Hashmi, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi, Saranjam Khan, Chaudhry Tanveer, Sardar Yaqoob Nasir, Mushahidullah Khan, Tehmina Daultana and Begum Ishrat Ashraf — led the rally which started soon after Friday congregation from Jamia Taleemul Quran, Raja Bazaar and culminated at Committee Chowk after passing through Fawara Chowk and Iqbal Road at 4:15pm.

Activists of the Muslim Student Federation (MSF), Pakistan Muslim League Youth Wing and the Punjab president of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), Zahid Kazmi, also participated in the rally.

A reasonable number of PML-N women activists also joined the rally from Muslim League House, Raja Bazaar at 3:15pm and marched till Committee Chowk raising anti-Bush/Blair/Sharon and anti- Musharraf slogans. The participants also demanded of the international policy-makers to ensure peace and harmony in the world and save innocent Iraqi citizens from the irrational wrath of the US.

The protesters carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the hawkish policies of the US government. They urged the Muslim Ummah to forge unity among their ranks to compel the US president to stop beating war drums in the Middle East.

The participants also raised slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali for not clearly opposing the possible US attack on Iraq.

Speaking to the participants, the PML-N chairman, Raja Zafarul Haq, said Pakistan’s policy on Iraq was based on double standards and praised the Malaysian prime minister, Mahatir Mohammad, for being the only leader of the Muslim world to openly condemn the imperialistic and anti-Islamic polices of America. He regretted the weak stance of the OIC on Iraq and termed the leaders of the Islamic countries as slaves of the US.

Tehmina Daultana and Begum Ishrat Ashraf termed the US as the biggest terrorist and held it responsible for the killings of innocent people of Afghanistan and for the present miseries of the Iraqi people.

Zafar Ali Shah and Javed Hashmi regretted that despite world-wide anti-war protests President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair were adamant on attacking Iraq.

They feared that after Iraq, it could be the turn of Pakistan and maintained that the defence of Iraq was the defence of Pakistan.