24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 23: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and students belonging to the Islami Jamiat Talba staged demonstrations after Friday prayers against debriefing of nuclear scientists and the ongoing army operation in tribal areas of Wana, South Waziristan.

The rallies are part of the countrywide protests on MMA's appeal for expressing solidarity with the scientists and people of the tribal areas. The protesters were holding banners and placards with slogans expressing their anger and grief against the government policy of humiliating scientists allegedly to appease the United States.

Addressing a major rally outside Pathan Masjid, Moosa Lane, Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui said that the government had declared heroes as foes to appease the US, which had forced nuclear scientists' families to come to roads. He said the entire nation was concerned over the detention of nuclear scientists.

He warned that if the government did not mend its policy people would compelled to march towards Islamabad. The JI leader said that instead of pressurizing Pakistan, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should divert its attention towards Israel and the US, who were openly providing nuclear technology to India.

MNA Abdul Sattar Afghani condemned the statement of Federal Information Minister Shaikh Rasheed for trying to prove himself more loyal to the US than President Musharraf. He urged the government to change its policy and bring all affairs for debate in the Parliament.

Meanwhile, students of the NED University of Engineering and Technology also staged a protest demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club against the arrest and humiliation of nuclear scientists of the country, adds PPI.

The students were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against "humiliation of national heroes" in the garb of debriefing. They chanted slogans against the government, the US and its allies.

Protest demonstrations were also held at a few medical colleges and Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, which were organized by the students belonging to Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT).

Addressing the demonstrations, IJT office-bearers demanded of the government to immediately halt the humiliation of nuclear scientists, release them and refrain from any such activity in future.