ISLAMABAD, Nov 30: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) president Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who arrived here from Lahore on Wednesday, announced to observe countrywide protests against what he termed the Punjab government’s use of force to stop the ‘caravan’ from entering Gujrat and arresting about 1,000 activists.

Speaking at a news conference at his residence, Qazi Hussain said MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rahman was fully supportive of the religious alliance’s move of resigning from the National Assembly seats in protest against the Protection of Women’s Rights Bill.

He said that the strategy of tendering resignations would be finalised at the parliamen-tary party meeting on Dec 6 and 7.

He said though he was not giving a deadline, he wanted to make it clear that very soon a call to march on Islamabad would be given to dislodge government and President Pervez Musharraf.

He said the women’s rights bill was part of an American agenda which the present rulers were facilitating and if they were not stopped, they may venture to change other Islamic values as well.

Answering a question with regard to the PPP’s siding with the government on the bill, he said he would like to appeal the religious-minded section of the party to stop its leadership from the total surrender to the westernisation of the country.

He said if the government was strong and the MMA’s long march was an act of minority then why Mansoora was cordoned off by police and paramilitary troops for two days and about 1,000 workers detained in various police stations.

A truck loaded with senior JI leaders, he claimed, was whisked away by law-enforcement agencies before embarking on the long march.