PESHAWAR, July 26: The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) on Monday decided to launch a protest movement against the proposed Hasba law.

According to a press release issued here, the decision to start the movement was taken in a joint meeting of the APMA's provincial council, which was attended by its central cabinet and other minority organisations, which was presided over by the APMA's chairman Shehbaz Bhatti.

The meeting decided to contact all the major political parties and human rights groups so as to stop the MMA government in NWFP from enacting the proposed Hasba Act. It was also decided to constitute special committees which would begin contacts with the general public to apprise them about the intentions of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal's government behind introducing this law.

The meeting also decide to contact prominent lawyers so that the law could be challenged in the Supreme Court if the provincial government enacted it. Shehbaz Bhatti said that the said law was a sword hanging over the heads of minorities, women and all progressive and democratic people living in NWFP.

He said that they would foil the attempt of provincial government of introducing a Taliban style of government and parallel judicial system. Mr Bhatti said that the MMA wanted to tarnish the image of Pakistan abroad by establishing the Taliban-style of government here.

He added that the Hasba Law would end up being the Martial Law administered by ulema and through it people would be victimised on political and religious grounds. The participants stated that the MMA government instead of adopting such undemocratic steps should take steps to encourage religious tolerance and national solidarity in society.