KARACHI, June 1: The Jafria Alliance has threatened protest movement if its 100 supporters were not released within 24 hours. This was stated by Allama Abbas Kumaili in a news conference he addressed at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday along with other leaders of the alliance.

He warned President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and other key elements of the government that if the detained supporters were not released within 24 hours, the alliance on Thursday would decide about a nationwide protest movement.

Allama Abbas Kumaili deplored the terrorist incidents in Karachi and other parts of the country and said that during the past few years’ excesses against Jafria community had increased and after every such incident instead of consoling the bereaved families, innocent people were arrested by the law enforcement agencies.

This time too about 100 such people were arrested and were subjected to state terrorism. He said that excesses against Jafria community which had become intense during the past two decades, had now taken the form of suicide bombing on the worshippers.

Allama Kumaili claimed that over 300 innocent worshippers had been killed in such attacks in Karachi, Quetta, Sialkot, Lahore and Islamabad. He said that such deplorable terrorist attacks had not only destroyed the country’s peace and progress, it had also deprived the country of many doctors and engineers who became victim of terrorist attacks.

He said that security of citizens was the prime responsibility of the government. He pointed out that for the first time it was officially admitted during Gen Musharraf’s rule that some government agencies were involved in propelling and training of those banned outfits that were allegedly involved in terrorist attacks on Millat-i-Jafria. He regretted that despite such revelations no concrete measure was taken against them and network of the alleged terrorists was still operative with even greater vengeance.

He pointed that only low-level cadre was arrested but those who were issuing edicts declaring Millat-i-Jafria as infidels and therefore liable to be killed, were roaming freely, allegedly polluting the mind of innocent people and preaching hatred and intolerance.

He urged the religious clerics to deplore such edicts against Shias and declare them as “haraam” (forbidden).

Deploring the attack on Madinatul Ilm mosque and KFC, where six innocent people were burnt alive, he said that Shia community had nothing to do with such terrorist attacks. He pointed out that when KFC was torched, people in Madinatul Ilm were busy in rescuing people trapped in the debris and providing medical assistance to victims of suicide bomb attack.

He was of the view that hidden hands, opposed to the integrity of Pakistan, were trying to fan sectarian hatred by exploiting this unfortunate incident.

In this context, he cited attempt to provoke a blood bath between Shias and followers of Sunnis in Jafar-i-Tayyar Society which was averted by prudent approach of both the sides.

He appealed to religious leaders of all sects to come forward in deploring such elements.

Allama Kumaili said those, who attacked media men taking pictures of the attack on Madinatul Ilm and KFC, had nothing to do with the alliance and claimed that some miscreants, who were always on a look for such unfortunate incidents, must had been involved in attacks on journalists.