15 January 2005	Saturday	04 Zilhaj 1425

RAWALPINDI, Jan 14: Thirty-two activists of Tehrik Nifaz Fiqah Jaffriya Pakistan were arrested on Friday when they clashed with the Islamabad police during a demonstration held to condemn the killing of a Shia leader. Eight policemen were also injured.

The clash took place when 500 to 600 people poured out of G- 6/2 Imambargah and started marching towards China Chowk shouting anti-government slogans and demanding the arrest of killers of Agha Ziauddin Rizvi.

Mr Rizvi died at the Combined Military Hospital on Thursday, while his security guard, Tanveer Hussain, also expired while being airlifted to Gilgit by helicopter.

Those leading the protesters had assured the district administration that they would disperse peacefully at Polyclinic Chowk after registering their protest but when they reached there, they tried to march towards the Parliament House inviting police intervention.

The police resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charge to push them back. In retaliation, the protesters started pelting stones at the police leaving six personnel injured.

Thirty-two protesters were arrested and cases registered against them. A spokesman for the Islamabad police said two of the policemen were injured when some protesters hit them with their vehicles.

The injured policemen included constables Shahid Iqbal, Omer Daraz, Yousuf Hussain, Ehsan Rahim, Mohammad Aslam, Ishaq, Jamshaid and Attaur Rehman. They were shifted to different capital hospital for treatment.

Munawer Azeem adds: Hundreds of activists of Quaid-i-Millat Jaffriya Pakistan took out a protest demonstration to condemn the killing of 11 people, including Agha Ziauddin, during sectarian clashes in Gilgit.

Syed Izhar Bukhari, spokesman for the QMHP, said the incident took place when the police tried to stop the rally at Polyclinic Chowk. He said the main cause of the incident was that the participants of the demonstration did not know about the exact finishing point of the rally.

A spokesman for the police said 32 protesters had been granted bail, while four others would be granted bail on Saturday after submission of a written apology by Allama Jalil Naqvi in which he had assured the police not to repeat the same in future.

STAFF REPORTER ADDS: The leadership of Northern Areas, representing the Sunni sect, has criticized the government for mishandling the sectarian crisis in Gilgit.

Speaking at a Press conference at Rawalpindi Press Club, the chairman of Ittehad Ulema Council Northern Areas & Kohistan, Maulana Muhammad Sanaullah Ghalib alleged that the government was responsible for the recent killings in the area.

He was also accompanied by other members of Ittehad; Maulana Mohammad Tariq, Mufti Muhammad Abdullah, Maulana Abdur Rashid and Hafiz Muhammad Zubairi. Maulana Ghalib demanded to hold an independent inquiry into the crisis,".

He also criticised local administration as well as army for not taking timely action. "When the government knew that after crisis in Gilgit, Skardu will be the next target of the violence, then why it did not take adequate measures?", he questioned.