February 16, 2006	Thursday	Muharram 17, 1427

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THATTA, Feb 15: Protest demonstrations continued against the publication of blasphemous cartoons in European newspapers as people in different parts of Sindh took to the streets on Wednesday.

In Thatta, activists of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam staged a sit-in on the Thatta-Badin highway in the Sujawal town, blocking it for over two hours.

The protesters, led by Sindh JUI Naib Ameer Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Qasmi, had reached the highway after marching through main thoroughfares of the town.

Carrying party flags, banners and placards, they raised slogans against the publication of blasphemous caricatures.

Speaking on the occasion, JUI MPA Maulana Umer Sadiq, Maulana Halejvi, Maulana Ghafoor Qasmi and others said the Ummah would not remain silent on the issue.

In a resolution, the protesters demanded that the government should sever diplomatic relations with Denmark.

NAWABSHAH: Members of the Nawabshah Taluka Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the publication of blasphemous caricatures.

Union Council-8 Naib Nazim Dr Khushi Mohammad Khizri tabled the resolution.

He demanded that the government should raise the issue in the United Nations, OIC and other international organizations so that people involved in the crime could be punished.

Convener Khan Bahadur Bhatti presided over the session.

Later, the members, led by Taluka Nazim Abdul Rauf Khan and Naib Nazim Khan Bahadur Bhatti, took out a procession and held a demonstration outside the press club. They called upon the president and prime minister to end diplomatic relations with Denmark, France and Norway and boycott their products.

They said the United Nations should intervene in the matter and punish the culprits.

Meanwhile, workers of the Islami Jamiat Taleba held a demonstration outside the Government Degree College.

KHAIRPUR: The Khairpur District Bar Association took out a procession which was led by its president Sher Mohammad Shaikh.

The procession started from the association office and marched through the court road, Naseem Kharal road and the bank chowk.

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Around 2,000 people took out a procession from the Government High School in Mehrabpur.

They were led by Union Council-1 Nazim Abdul Wahab Memon, UC-2 Nazim Farooq Lodhi, PPP leader Aftab Mallah and MMA leader Mujahid Badaruddin Soomro.

The procession marched through different roads of the town.

The protesters burnt tyres, an effigy of US President George W. Bush and flags of Denmark.

SHIKARPUR: On a call of the Small Traders Association, Shikarpur, a shutter-down strike was observed in the city.

Small traders and activists of the PPP, JI, JUI, Awami Tehrik, JSM-Z, JSQM, Shia organizations, Jamaat Qadria Jilania and other associations took out a procession and held a demonstration at the Lakhi Gate tower chowk.