16 May 2004	Sunday	25 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

HYDERABAD, May 15: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, district chapter here on Saturday called on authorities concerned to reconstruct the mosque demolished on GPO premises otherwise MMA leaders would do the same on their own.

The MMA leaders offered Zauhr prayers in the compound of demolished mosque.

A heavy contingent of the police was deployed around the mosque to nip any trouble in the bud.

District Nazim Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman arrived there to defuse the tense situation.

He said that it was purely a religious issue and federal or Sindh religious affairs minister would be in a better position to handle the matter.

He said that it was not an administrative problem and disclosed that talks were scheduled with GPO authorities on Monday when the Sindh post master general would be present. He told MMA leaders that they might offer prayers and police would not intervene in the matter.

Speaking outside the press club MNA Abdul Khair Zubairsaid that they had appointed Qari Anwar to lead prayers on the demolished site till the mosque was reconstructed.