LAHORE, Dec 8: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, a component of the six-party MMA, fears that meetings of the alliance leaders with government officials may hurt the ongoing protest drive against the government.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, provincial secretary-general Qari Zawwar Bahadur urged the MMA leadership not to meet government officials these days for any reason as it would give the impression that the alliance was going to strike some deal with the rulers.

He said that as to why the JUP had not invited any official to the first anniversary of the late Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani. The anniversary would be observed at a marriage hall on Davis Road on Dec 11 as the government had refused to rent Alhamra and Aiwan-i-Iqbal to the party, Mr Bahadur said.

Applications for the two venues had been submitted before Ramazan but their managements refused booking of the event demanding permission of the provincial government, he regretted. Qazi Husain Ahmad, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Maulana Samiul Haq, Allama Sajid Naqvi, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and others will speak at the ceremony.

The party has also planned to observe a "Noorani week" to highlight the services of the late leader for the cause of Islam and Pakistan by organizing seminars and symposia throughout the province. This would also help activate workers of the MMA for the anti-Musharraf drive, Bahadur said.