KARACHI, Feb 7: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan on Tuesday announced that it will observe protest day on Feb 10 against the publication of blasphemous cartoons in European newspapers. Countrywide protest demonstrations would be held and rallies will be taken out to condemn the blasphemy.
This decision was taken by a JUP meeting, presided over by JUP President Prof Shah Faridul Haq at its office Bait-i-Rizwan Karachi. Other JUP leaders Hashim Siddiqui Advocate, Sahibzada Shah Owais Noorani, Siddique Rathore, MPA Abdur Rahman Rajput, Shabir Abu Talib, Mufti Jan Muhammad Naeemi and Haleem Khan Ghauri.
Addressing the meeting, the JUP president demanded the government to call back envoys from the countries whose papers had published the blasphemous images and not to restore them unless apologies were given.
He said the publication of such images showed that conspiracies were being hatched against Muslims and plans were being made for their genocide following their reaction over the cartoons.
Other JUP leaders called for summoning an immediate session of OIC to discuss the issue.
The meeting also decided that the son of founding MMA President and late JUP leader Allama Shah Ahmed Noorani, Sahibzada Shah Owais Noorani, will be the MMA’s unanimous candidate for Senate elections from Sindh.
PPP: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Karachi has described the publication of blasphemous cartoons in a section of the European press as an “evil conspiracy against Muslims”.
They have appealed to the ARD, the MMA and other opposition parties to jointly observe a countrywide black day on a same day, give a protest rally call and launch a campaign to punish those responsible for publication of the cartoons.
A joint statement in this regards was issued on Tuesday by PPP Karachi President Rashid Rabbani, Information Secretary Raheel Iqbal, MPA Rafiq Engineer and Farzana Baloch of the Ladies Wing.—PPI
