March 29, 2003	Saturday	Muharram 25, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, March 28: Pigeons were released and a “peace” torch was lit during a joint protest demonstration of politicians and human rights activists on Friday to condemn the US-led forces attack on Iraq and express solidarity with the Iraqi people.

The rally was organized by the Parliamentary Commission for Human Rights, Parliamentarians Doctors Forum, Ansar Burney Trust and Shelter, in front of the Parliament House.

The participants of the rally were condemning the US invasion outside the Parliament House, at a time when the Senate was in session to discuss the Iraq issue.

Drenched in rain, the parliamentarians including PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, PPP Senator Abdul Latif Khosa, Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar, Saleem Saifullah, Kashmala Tariq of PML-Q, Giyan Singh, MMA representative Azam Khan Swati, human rights activist Ansar Burney, adviser to the prime minister on women development, Nilofer Bakhtiar, demanded the immediate cessation of hostilities against Iraqi people and complete withdrawal of allied forces from the Iraqi soil on the ninth day of continuous bombing of Iraq.

Dr Sher Afgan and Dr Firdaus, while standing at a distance with banners and placards in their hands, also joined the demonstration and termed the US war an aggression against the innocent people of Iraq.

“We need peace instead of war,” they said, adding the civilians including women and children were being killed due to the US bombing on Iraqi cities. They called upon the United Nations to play its role and restore peace by all means in Iraq.

The placards they were carrying declared British prime minister Tony Blair the US slave.

Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Shujat said the government would always support the cause of Iraqi people on humanitarian grounds and would use diplomatic channels against all kinds of injustices.

Ansar Burney said the Iraq government had allowed his organization to visit Iraq with relief goods, doctors and paramedics to help the people there.

He said he along with a delegation would soon be leaving for Iraq by road.

He said he had also invited Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmad and MMA chief Shah Ahmad Noorani to attend the rally but they did not turn up.

“Instead of taking out ‘million marches’, we should practically help the Iraqi people, who are in dire need of medical assistance,” he added.

“We love Iraqi people and, therefore, we are here to salvage our brothers on humanitarian ground. We also wanted to show that the people of Pakistan are with Iraqis in this hour of trial,” he said, adding that the government had not condoned the massacre of Iraqi people, which showed that it had taken a bold stand against the US aggression.

Dr Sher Afgan said the parliamentarians doctors forum was also sending a delegation comprising 30 doctors and paramedics with medicines and other relief goods to Iraq.

He said his forum considered the attack by the allied forces an aggression without UN legitimacy.

The attack had been condemned by all the international organizations like Non Aligned Movement, European Union, Arab League, Organization of Islamic Conference.

Abdul Latif Khosa said the world conscience should rise against the US aggression and declare US President Bush the “Hitler” of modern times.

A minority parliamentarian, Giyan Singh, stressed the need for resolving problems through dialogues. He said issues never settled through war.