KARACHI, June 18: The Sunni Rehbar Council has expressed concern over the government’s neglect and apathy towards the arrest of those who eliminated more than 65 religious scholars and faithful by carrying out bomb attack at Nishtar Park on one of the holiest Islamic occasions, the Eid-i-Milad, on April 11.

The council which met here on Sunday with Mufti Muneebur Rehman in the chair, accused the government of being not ready to expose and arrest the culprits, and warned that the continued delaying tactics it had resorted to in making the progress of investigation into the tragedy could compel ulema and their followers to launch a protest campaign.

The council reminded the government that people were losing confidence in the ability and sincerity of its sensitive agencies which had so far failed to come out with any breakthrough in the investigation.

The meeting deliberated upon the situation prevailing in the country following the Nishtar Park tragedy, and observed that the government’s attitude towards the genuine demands of the Ahle Sunnat followers had now become intolerable.

Speaking at the meeting, Mufti Muneebur Rehman said that the authorities were taking religious leaders’ policy of peace and tolerance as their weakness and, as such, they had put the issue on the back burner as they had always been doing in such matters.

Asking the government to fulfill its commitment, as well as its constitutional responsibilities and religious obligations, he repeated the demand that the progress made so far in the Nishtar Park blast investigation be made public immediately. Prof Muneeb said that if the government did not respond to the demand positively, the council could resume its peaceful protest campaign, including a massive march and strike, in Sindh.

He referred to the growing unrest among the Ahle Sunnat followers over the government’s failure to arrest and punish all those involved in the Nishtar Park bombing, and said that unless all of them were exposed and arrested, the situation would continue to aggravate.

Meanwhile, Sarwat Ijaz Qadri, President of the Sunni Tehrik which had lost many of its top leaders in the bombing, has said that his party had decided to extend its protest campaign to Punjab and the NWFP.

Presiding over a meeting of party leaders at the Markaz Ahl-i-Sunnat here on Sunday, he regretted that the government had failed to arrest the culprits of Nishtar Park blast despite the passage of more than two months.

The meeting, attended by ST leaders from Punjab and NWFP, decided that protest demonstrations would be held in front of the Prime Minister’s House, Presidency and Parliament Building in Islamabad, and in front of the Sindh Assembly in Karachi. If the government did not arrest the culprits even after the protests, call for a countrywide strike would be given, it said.

Mr Ijaz told the meeting that the government’s continued hesitation to arrest terrorists was not understandable, and pointed out that this attitude was encouraging terrorists.