17 July 2004	Saturday	28 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KARACHI, July 16: The leader of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and Amir, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi, Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui, while commenting on Sindh governor's statement, in which he had hinted at imposing a ban on the JI, said religio-political parties, especially "the JI are not afraid of such threats".

"The whole history of the JI shows that it struggled against dictators but never bowed before their threats and demands. The dream of imposing ban on its activities is also not new, as several dictators tried to so in the past but failed," he said in a statement on Friday.

The JI leader said those who were "raising fingers against the JI" were themselves not clean. "The people of Karachi are very well aware of those involved in killings and subjecting innocent people to violence.

"The presence of the JI is unwanted for the US and its local agents operating in the county. These local agents are demanding a ban on the JI's activities just to please the US," he alleged.

Mr Siddiqui said: "The people of Pakistan, especially of Karachi know very well about those, who always supported the establishment and military dictators just to avoid a ban on their terrorist activities," adding that JI's struggle against reshaping blasphemy and Hudood laws and implementation of Islam would, however, continue in Pakistan. -PPI