LAHORE, April 6: The Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights has announced holding of a rally from the GPO to Punjab Assembly chambers here on April 19 to condemn the ‘silence’ of government over talibanisation of society.

Making the announcement at a news conference at the Lahore Press Club on Friday, Human Rights Commission chairperson Asma Jehangir, Shahtaj Qizilbash, Fareeda Shaheed, I A Rahman and Shabnam said civil society was concerned over the ‘fascist tactics’ being used by the students of Lal Masjid and Madrissa Hafsa and silence of the Islamabad administration.

They said the interference of religious forces in the private lives of people was the proof of the failure of the government to counter terrorism. Its silence over the talbanisation started by religious groups in Islamabad negated government claims that it was trying to counter terrorism. The present military government was in fact nurturing a dangerous militant force involved in bloodshed and terrorism by providing a Rs3 billion annual grant on the pretext of reformation of seminaries. —Reporter