January 16, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 15, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 15: A massive rally was held here on Sunday on the call of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal against the recent missile attack by US forces in Bajaur Agency. Apart from the parties forming the MMA, the coalition partner, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, also participated in the rally, which was held outside the Jamia Binnoria, Gurumandir.

They rally called upon Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to put off his scheduled visit to the US in protest against the violation of Pakistan’s territory by US forces to carryout the attack. The participants also demanded an apology by President Bush over the incident in which 18 innocent Pakistani citizens, including women and children, had perished.

Similar protest rallies were held in other parts of Sindh and other provinces on the MMA’s call.

All roads and streets around the venue of the rally were crammed with protesters holding party flags and the banners inscribed with slogans against US aggression in Bajour Agency, as well as the demands for an end to the Pakistan army’s operations in Balochistan and Waziristan. The participants were shouting slogans against the pro-US elements and the US ‘repressive’ policies viz-a-viz Afghanistan, Iraq, Kashmir, Palestine and certain other Muslim states.

They were also calling for unity of Ummah to counter the repression.

Addressing the rally, Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, said the US was the ‘biggest terrorist’ in the world and deplored that Pakistani regime had become pawn of the US administration.

Condemning the violation of Pakistani air space by US forces to launch a missile attack in Bajour Agency, the MMA leader demanded that President Bush must apologize to the Pakistani nation. Prime Minister Shuakat Aziz should postpone his proposed US visit and Gen Pervez Musharraf should step down forthwith for failing to protect the nation and putting the national security, independence and sovereignty at stake, he added.

“The government has become a silent spectator, but the nation will no more remain silent over the US repression as manifested by this massive rally,” he declared.

Pointing out the participation of MQM in the protest rally, he said it showed that people’s sympathy was with the victims of aggression, be it in Bajaur agency, Balochistan or Waziristan. “It is a great show of solidarity as the MMA and MQM, shunning their political differences, are raising their voice from one platform to express their support to the oppressed people and to condemn the aggressors.”

He attributed the unrest among smaller provinces to Gen Musharraf’s policies.

Prof Ghafoor said Gen Musharraf ought to visit Bajaur Agency after the US attack and condole with the bereaved families but he had chosen to visit Swabi to drum up support for the Kalabagh Dam project which, the MMA leader said, was an issue raised only to pit one province against the other.

Mr Anwar Alam, In-charge of the MQM Coordination Committee in Pakistan, said that his party always supported the oppressed people and condemned the oppressors. He said this was the time for unity and cohesion.

“We all will have to forge unity in our file and rank to protect our country,” he said, adding that the army’s role should be to protect the country and the nation and not to carry out operations against civilians.

He categorically announced that MQM considered army operation wrong and condemned it whether it was the case of Bajaur Agency, Waziristan, Balochistan or anywhere else.

He maintained that military operation against civilians had always resulted in a disaster. In this context, he recalled that in East Pakistan, Bengalis had been dubbed as ‘traitors’ and a military operation had been launched against them. It was the result of this sheer oppression the country had to lose its eastern wing, he said. He warned the government against pursuing the same policies and asked if the same were being pursued to dismember the remaining Pakistan further.

Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri recalled that after the 9/11 event, the United States had unleashed an attack on Afghanistan. Religious parties came out with condemnation of the US aggression and strongly protested the US action. However, he regretted, many of the other parties misjudged the religious parties’ stance at that time. “Today, the time has proved that our stance was correct,” he stressed.

He pointing out that no less than 7,000 Pakistani troops were deployed along the country’s western borders, but US forces infiltrated its territory and safely returned to their positions after carrying out air raids within the Pakistani territory. “What is the purpose of the deployment,” he asked.

Maulana Haideri also appreciated the MQM for joining in the rally.

Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui deplored that the rulers had remained unaware of the number of casualties in the US raid and the identities of the victims even 24 hours after the attack, and said that those who had failed to protect the country’s territory and people had not right to rule over them.

Maulana Abdul Karim Abid said that the US and its allies were constantly hatching conspiracies against the Ummah. As such, he added, the so-called ‘war against terror’ was actually a war against Ummah.

Others who addressed the rally included Allama Hasan Turabi, Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, Qari Sher Afzal, Maulana Abdul Hannan and Nasrullah Shaji.