July 05, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 19, 1428

PESHAWAR, July 4: Activists of religious parties and militant outfits on Wednesday held protest rallies in different parts of the province against the Lal Masjid operation and killing of seminary students in Islamabad.

Protests were held in Peshawar, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Haripur, Mingora, Swat, Nowshera and other areas.

Workers of the Jamaat-i-Islami took out a procession from Mohabbat Khan Mosque. The procession was led by Maulana Yousaf Qureshi and MNA Shabir Ahmad Khan. The protesters chanted slogans against the government for conducting the operation against the Lal Masjid and seminary students.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and other component parties of the Muttahida Malis-i-Amal distanced themselves from the protests.

Meanwhile, a trader killed in the Aabpara market, Islamabad, during the clashes on Tuesday was buried in the Mamond tehsil of the Bajaur Agency. A student, Rehmanullah, from the agency studying in Jamia Faridiya had also been injured.

Activists of the Jamaat-i-Islami held a demonstration against the government in Dir. They took out a procession from Jamia Masjid and later held a public meeting at the Dir chowk. The number of participants was very thin, although the JI is considered a major political force of the area.

Speaking on the occasion, Javed Iqbal, party deputy secretary Inamullah and general secretary JI said President Gen Pervez Musharraf had launched an attack on the “fort of Islam” and had showered bullets on innocent girl students of Jamia Hafsa.

The protesters also condemned blasts, attacks on different businesses and the killing of policemen in the operation. They urged the government to immediately halt the operation and close down all ‘centres of vulgarity and obscenity’.

Activists of different religious parties took out a procession in Haripur.

The procession started from Chowk Sheranwala Gate. The protesters chanted anti- government slogans and staged a sit-in outside the office of Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan.

Protests were also held in Balakot, Oghi and Battagram of the Hazara region.

Speaking at a demonstration in Balakot, Mohammad Azar of the Harkatul Mujahideen warned the government to stop the operation against the Lal Masjid, otherwise suicide attacks would be carried out in the country.

Religious parties’ activists also held demonstrations in Timergara and other parts of the Lower Dir district.

Protesters blocked the road between Nowshera and Mardan. Announcements were made from seminaries and mosques asking people to join the protest rally.

MANSEHRA: Police lodged cases against 15 protesters on Wednesday who attacked the district nazim and the deputy district officer, Education, when the chairman, Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority, turned down their demands, Dawn has learnt officially.

The Shinkiary police told this correspondent that cases had been filed against those who attacked the district nazim, Mansehra, Sardar Mohammad Yousuf, and the deputy district officer, Education, on Tuesday as it was a serious matter because they took the law into their hands and attacked both officials.

A resident of Bakrial town on the condition of anonymity said that most of the residents of Bakrial (New Balakot City) were pleased over the government offer but those who had illegally taken possession of the lands of others were creating problems for the government and residents of Bakrial.

He said: “The government has offered attractive rates for the land as an amount of Rs 13.50 billion is earmarked for the establishment of New Balakot City for the quake-affected people of Balakot and we will even get compensation for our trees.”

MARDAN: Frontier Constabulary troops set up checkpoints to avoid any untoward situation as students of various Madressahs on Wednesday blocked the main road here to protest against the Lal Masjid operation.

Students belonging to religious schools in Muhib Banda, Katlang and Ghala Dher disrupted the flow of traffic by placing tree trunks and large rocks on the road.

The protesters demanded the lifting of Lal Masjid’s siege and called for immediately stopping the operation.

According to parents of two Lal Masjid students, who were stated to be still inside the Lal Masjid at the time of filing this report, Mansoor and Uzair Mohammad Khan had contacted them and vowed to “protect the mosque’s sanctity at all costs”.

Meanwhile, District Nazim Himayatullah Khan Mayar and DPO Akhtar Hayat Gandapur failed to persuade the protesters to disperse peacefully the protestants and opened the roads peacefully.

KHAR: An obscure militant organisation has warned Levy Force in the Bajaur Agency to stop patrolling and checking for militant vehicles in the area, otherwise they would take stern action.