27 January 2004	Tuesday	04 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 26: The Jamat-i-Islami on Monday warned the government of "dire consequences" if nuclear scientists were not released, saying whole nation was "boiling with rage" over the humiliation of 'heroes' of the country.

Speaking to the participants of a protest rally in front of the Karachi Press Club, organized by the JI Women Wing, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA and former mayor of Karachi, Abdul Sattar Afghani, said the nation would not tolerate humiliation of nuclear scientists and U-turn on Kashmir policy on US behest.

He warned the government that if the scientists were not released through peaceful protests, "Islamabad would be made 'No-go' area for present rulers." Other MMA and JI leaders, including MNA Muhammad Laiq Khan and Amir Muhammad Muslim also spoke at the demonstration.

Mr Afghani maintained that Pakistan's nuclear assets were symbol of country's defence and had the country possessed nuclear bomb in 1971, India could not dare to attack East Pakistan. He further said the nation would not accept U-turn over Kashmir policy and negotiations with India, by-passing the United Nation's resolutions.

STUDENTS DEMO: A large number of male and female students of the Karachi University on Monday staged a protest demonstration at the varsity's point-bus terminal against the alleged humiliation of nuclear scientists in the name of "debriefing," condemning the alleged raid on the Dr A Q Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE).

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with demands and slogans, the KU students chanted slogans against the scientists' detention, their alleged humiliation and "making them scapegoats," at the demonstration, which was organized by the Islami Jamiat Talaba.

IJT leaders, while speaking on the occasion said the whole nation was "depressed" over the alleged humiliation and detention of country's nuclear scientists, who were considered 'heroes.'

They demanded of the government to stop following US directives and pressures for rolling back country's nuclear programme and immediately release nuclear scientists. Later, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully.

Meanwhile, KU institute's Director, Dr SH Mujtaba Naqvi, denied that officials of any agency had visited the institute in connection with the acts of nuclear scientists associated with the Kahuta Research Laboratories.

"KIBGE is purely an academic institute and is not fully operative yet. We have hired some research fellow from KU and conducting research on agricultural biotechnology and biomedical technology, which has nothing to do with nuclear technology or KRL," he added.

Dr Naqvi, who is a former chief scientist at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) and former director-general of the Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), said as all of the labs established at the institute were not fully functional, they sent samples of blood to a hospital associated with the KRL in Islamabad for analysis.-PPI