07 February 2004	Saturday	15 Zilhaj 1424

HYDERABAD, Feb 6: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's strike call received a poor response in the cities and towns of interior of Sindh where business centres usually remain closed on Friday.

Shops in residential areas remained opened and vehicular traffic also remained normal in different parts of the province except Dadu district from where a partial strike was reported.

In Hyderabad, the MMA staged a rally at Gari Khata Chowk in protest against what it called humiliation of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan and other nuclear scientists.

Speaking on the occasion, Hyderabad district MMA president MMA Abdul Waheed Qureshi said that the country was in the grip of a serious crisis and conspiracies of enemies of Pakistan were at their peak.

He said that the rulers, who had succumbed to pressure of the USA president could not protect the country from external aggression nor they were in a position to protect the nuclear installations.

Mr Qureshi alleged: "In order to perpetuate his rule, President Gen Pervez Musharraf has supported the massacres of Muslims in Afghanistan and now he has made Dr Khan a scapegoat."

He warned the government that if any action was taken against the nuclear scientists, the MMA would besiege Islamabad.

Jamiat Ulema-i- Islam (Fazl) leader Maulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoon said that America was using President Musharraf to further its nefarious designs. He said that the sworn enemies of Islam could never become the friends of Pakistan.

Hyderabad Jamaat-i-Islami chief Shaikh Shoukat Ali alleged that the supreme hero of Pakistan was forced to issue a confessional statement.

Provincial president, National Labour Federation, Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, said that those who had violated the Constitution and looted the national wealth were never produced on television to tender an apology to the nation but a crude attempt was made to defame Dr Khan who had saved Pakistan.

He said that the federal interior minister, who was wanted by the National Accountability Bureau, had insulted Dr Khan. He accused the president of disclosing national secrets on the pretext of debriefing of nuclear scientists.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Islami Jamiat Tulba leader Raheel Qureshi. A strong contingent of police was deployed at Gari Khata on the occasion.

Meanwhile, business centres and shops remained closed here but it may be mentioned that business centres and shops usually remain closed here on Friday. However, vehicular traffic on the roads remained normal and public transport plied as usual.

MIRPURKHAS: A protest rally was taken out on the call of MMA here after Friday prayer from Madina mosque. It was led by the provincial deputy secretary-general of the MMA, Hafiz Nasrullah Channa, to protest humiliation of country's nuclear scientists in the name of debriefing.

They were carrying banners and placards, and raising slogans in the favour of nuclear scientists. Speaking to protesters Mr Channa, Qayyum Shahid, Maulana Ramzan Rehmani and others criticized the government for insulting the scientists and detaining them under the US pressure.

DADU: Partial strike was observed in Dadu, Sehwan, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Johi, Phulji, Mehar and Sita towns of the district on Friday. Vehicular traffic on the Indus Highway remained thin.

NAWABSHAH: Partial strike was observed here.

BADIN: The strike call received no response in Badin and other towns of the district on Friday as hotels, business centres and shops remained open.