ISLAMABAD July 1: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) announced on Tuesday that it would hold country-wide protest demonstrations on Friday against what it called the court’s “political” verdict of unseating its MNA, Mufti Ibrar Sultan, from NA-14, Kohat.

MMA President Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani will lead protest demonstrations after Friday prayers in Karachi, its parliamentary leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed will be in Lahore while Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rahman will spearhead the protest march in the federal capital.

The Majlis alleged that the verdict was premeditated and was given under government directive to send the alliance a message that more such verdicts could come if its persistent campaign against the Legal Framework Order (LFO) was not stopped.

Speaking at a news conference at the parliament lodges on Tuesday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the decision to protest the verdict of the Frontier Election Tribunal to unseat a Majlis MNA had been taken to register the anger of people against a “political” rather than judicial decision.

MMA deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and JUI-F Secretary-General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri were also present on the occasion.

When asked whether the MMA would continue its boycott of the superior courts even if other MPs whose qualifications were challenged in the Supreme Court were disqualified one by one, the Maulana said in an angry tone: “Let them do what they wished to do but they must remember that Gen Musharraf has become most unpopular personality in the country and hatred against him is growing with every moment.”

He said the days were approaching fast when the people would be given a call to come out on the streets and remain there till the “illegitimate” setup was wound up and a real democratic era was ushered in.

The decision of the MMA not to become party in the courts in petitions seeking disqualification of its MPs, he further said, was taken in the light of its stated position that since judges of these courts had not taken fresh oath under 1973 Constitution and had accepted three-year undue extension in their service tenure, they could not be expected to deliver justice, at least not to the opposition.

Going by the constitutional provisions which say no law repugnant to Islam could be enacted in the country, the Maulana said, the degrees of the religious institutions were superior to the ones awarded by the universities.

Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said the highest functionary of the government was on record to have expressed his dismay over the election tribunal’s verdict, saying: “We expected the tribunal to declare Gilani as the winner.”

It was, however, interesting to note that in the election on NA-14, Mr Gilani was at number three in the polled votes as the PML-N candidate, Mr Javed Ibrahim Paracha, was far ahead of him after Mufti Ibrar, Hafiz Hussain pointed out.

The MMA leader said the meeting of the NWFP chief minister and Balochistan MMA President Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani with Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali on Monday evening was about their respective provincial problems and it had nothing to do with the opposition’s stand vis-a-vis LFO or the no-trust motion against the deputy speaker.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman alleged that the US had provided millions of dollars to the government to control religious institutions in the country but it should be clear that the Ulema had never succumbed to such moves. He recalled the British rule when such attempts were defied and foiled by the Ulema.