16 October 2004	Saturday	01 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 15: Law and order will be maintained during Ramazan, says Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. He was talking to journalists at the inauguration of the Plant Complex at the Sports Complex here on Friday.

Reiterating the government's resolve to root out terrorism, the minister said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had directed to ensure the maintenance of law and order and security of the people attending prayers during the holy month.

Sheikh Rasheed said that the president gave these directions during a meeting with ulema belonging to different schools of thought. The president, he said, had asked the ulema to forge unity among their ranks by following the spirit of tolerance and forbearance.

He referring to recent incidents of terrorism said that they were not sectarian incidents, adding that these acts were a bid to promote hatred among different sects by conspirators for their vested interests.

Referring to the protest campaign planned by the opposition against adoption of the bill allowing the president to hold two offices simultaneously, he said that the bill had been adopted with the majority vote by the National Assembly and the Opposition's protest was out of place.

Commenting on MNA Maulana Tahirul Qadri's announcement to resign, he said: "Let Maulana Qadri tender his resignation, we will accept it." Earlier, speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the Plant Complex, the minister appreciated the idea for the setting up of the complex which would add to the beauty of the capital in general and of the sports complex in particular.

The minister criticized the decision to plant paper mulberry and eucalyptus in Islamabad and said whoever recommended it should be tried as criminals for promotion of both these species for their adverse affects on the environment.

The minister said the meeting of Ruet-i-Hilal in Peshawar was being held on his recommendations and this would be for the first time the people in all parts of the country would observe fasting simultaneously. "This time the people of Charsadda would also observe Ramzan with the rest of the nation," he said. -APP