9 April 2005	Saturday	29 Safar 1426

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LAHORE, April 8: The component parties of MMA observed the Al Quds Day on Friday by holding demonstrations and announced that it would not allow women’s marathon even in Lahore.

The leaders criticized the government for its policies and urged it to release all workers arrested during the strike on April 2 and clashes with police in Gujranwala.

One such demonstration was held near Mansoora where MNA Farid Piracha said the success of the MMA’s strike on April 2 had unnerved the government. And to avenge its failure on that day, it arrested innocent students of seminaries, subjecting them to torture and registering cases against them under the Anti-terrorism Act.

He said countrywide protests would be held if the workers and students were not released by April 15.

He said the MMA was against those giving inflation, unemployment, lawlessness and obscenity to the country and if this was a crime the alliance would continue to commit it.

Lahore JI amir Hafiz Salman Butt and others also demanded immediate release of the arrested MMA workers and leaders.

Earlier, in his Juma sermon at Jamia Mansoora, JI secretary general Syed Munawwar Hasan praised Palestinians for rendering sacrifices for the liberation of Al Quds and condemned Israel for unleashing atrocities on them.

The JUP staged a demonstration near Firdaus Market in Gulberg and condemned the government for arresting the alliance workers on April 2 and in Gujranwala. The party leaders said the MMA would forcibly stop all attempts of the American agents to spread obscenity in the country.

They would not allow any marathon of women and men in Lahore, they said.