February 27, 2007	Tuesday	Safar 9, 1428

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RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: Protesting against the deaths of innocent people during the recent Basant celebrations in Lahore, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) activists took to the streets here on Monday and accused the Punjab government of violating the Supreme Court’s orders in celebrating Basant.

Hundreds of JI activists, who were also joined by other people, gathered at the Moti Mohal and tried to block the Murree Road but the police prevented them from doing so, on the directives of SP Rawal Town Sardar Maqsood.

The angry protesters demanded of the government to register FIRs against the provincial authorities, who defied the orders of the Supreme Court and celebrated Basant, during which 18 lives, including those of innocent school children, were lost.

Led by Rawalpindi JI Amir Dr Kamal, the participants of the rally chanted slogans against the provincial government and demanded compensation for the affected families.

Speaking at the rally, Dr Kamal said that Basant was a killer and should be banned forever as it was neither Islamic nor a peaceful activity, and alleged that some politicians were promoting Basant for promoting an image of being moderate Muslims.

“If the concept of enlightened moderation is to kill innocent children by promoting cruel and un-Islamic cultures then we are rebels to such activities,” he added.

He urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the authorities who allowed the celebrations, which had violated the ruling of the Supreme Court and the Constitution.

Dr Kamal said that the Punjab governor and chief minister should publicly confess of contributing to the killings of innocent people during Basant and should apologise to the nation.

Shamsur Rehman Swati, Syed Aziz Hamid, M. Haneef Chaudhry and Syed Arif Sherazi also spoke at the rally.

PPP: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has condemned the killing of innocent citizens in Basant-related activities across the Punjab.

PPP Secretary Information (Punjab) Farzana Raja held the rulers responsible for the deaths who allowed the Basant despite clear-cut ban imposed on the activity by the Supreme Court.

In a statement, she criticised the government for violating court’s decision and introducing a culture that had no roots in the Pakistani culture.

She said the government had failed to stop firing in the air and use of lethal kite twine which played havoc with the lives of innocent children.

In view of Samjhota Express tragedy and the murder of a ruling party minister, the government should have cancelled the Basant celebrations, but the rulers were busy in celebrating the festivity.

She said Basant was purely an entertainment for the poor people but the government had commercialised it.

Ms Raja said the country was in the grip of lawlessness and terrorism and recent wave of bomb blasts had increased the sense of insecurity among the masses.

She also condemned the 10 per cent increase in power tariff. The increase in power charges was a “gift” of the government on the event of Basant and it would only compound inflation, the cost of production and ultimately create hardship for the poor, she added.

The PPP leader said the decrease in gas prices would be of no benefit as gas consumption was minimal in summers. On one hand Gen Pervez Musharraf has announced that the tax burden on poor people will be reduced, while on the other the government is increasing prices of utilities.

She said the government was already pocketing huge revenue under the head of taxation on just one litre of petrol as its ex- refinery price stood at Rs25.97. She accused the government of shifting the burden of failing economic policies onto the average citizen.