05 June 2004	Saturday	16 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

QUETTA, June 4: An effective strike was observed in Quetta on Friday on the call of the Muttahida Majli-s-Amal to protest against the assassination of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai and other incidents of terrorism in Karachi.

All trade centres, markets, commercial institutions and shops in the city remained shut but in the suburbs business activities were as usual and shops also remained open. Educational institutions, government offices functioned as usual. Similarly, traffic was also as usual.

The MMA staged a rally in front of the Jamia mosque after Juma prayers and took out a procession on Shahra-i-Iqbal that culminated at the Manan Chowk where MMA leaders addressed the rally participants. MNA Maulana Noor Muhammad, city chief of JUI, led the rally.

Speaking on the occasion, MMA's central leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri MNA held Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership responsible for the killing of Ulema in Sindh.

He alleged that scores of cases had been registered against the Sindh governor but President Pervez Musharraf appointed him so that the intelligence agencies could complete their agenda of eliminating religious leaders through the MQM.

Maulana Haideri accused the MQM leadership of playing an anti-Ulema role at the behest of foreign powers and the army generals to eliminate prominent religious figures and Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai was one of them.

The MMA leader claimed that the slain scholar's son who was injured in the attack, had accused the Sindh governor and the MQM of being involved in the assassination of his father and emphasized that not only the Sindh governor should be removed but a case should also be registered against Dr Ishratul Ibad and others for the murder.