May 28, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1428

ATTOCK, May 27: Lawyers and political leaders have condemned the Sindh government for banning Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan from entering Karachi for one month.

They also strongly reacted to the graffiti campaign launched by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) against the former cricketer-turned politician.

District Bar Association president Rana Afsar Ali Khan and former member Punjab Bar Council Sheikh Ehsanuddin termed the ban on Imran yet another blunder committed by the party.

They said MQM activists were angry at the PTI chief only because he was supporting the lawyers’ movement for the independence of judiciary.

They advised the MQM to adopt a civilised way of registering protest and avoid breaching democratic norms.

They said MQM leaders should explain who had created no-go areas in Karachi and introduced the culture of body bags. They urged the British government to cancel Altaf Hussain’s citizenship and deport him for allegedly instigating his workers to kill innocent people in Karachi.

They said the MQM and the government would be responsible for any harm to Imran.

Central coordinator PTI Syed Hasan Shah and PPP leader Syed Azmat Bukhari also condemned the Sindh government’s decision.

They said the MQM had been isolated after the May 12 mayhem in Karachi and even its political allies were trying to dissociate from it.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf has decided to hold a rally on May 31 against the presidential reference and May 12 carnage in Karachi.

The rally would be led by party chief Imran Khan, said the PTI central coordinator Syed Hassan Shah here on Sunday.

Imran would also address the Attock district bar, he added.

CHAKWAL: Meanwhile, the workers of PTI held a protest demonstration outside the local press club against the Sindh government’s decision.

The protesters were carrying banners and placards and chanting slogans against the Sindh government and MQM chief Altaf Hussian.

Addressing the participants of the rally, PTI Chakwal district president Dr Habibullah Afridi, Malik Shahid Iqbal Advocate and Mian Naseer Ahmad said the ban was the negation of basic human rights.