November 18, 2008	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 19, 1429

HYDERABAD, Nov 17: The government’s wrong policies have pushed the country to the verge of bankruptcy, said speakers during an Ulema Mashaikh convention held at the Jamia Ghousia Tahiri Matiari on Sunday.

The convention demanded of the government to evolve just and effective economic policies without taking dictation from the US and lending institutions.

It adopted several resolutions demanding an end to military operations in Balochistan and tribal areas and condemned the American bombardment on Pakistani soil.

The conference observed that the present government had failed in eliminating price hike, unemployment, lawlessness and suicidal attacks and asked it to adopt effective measures to put country’s economy back on the rails.

It pointed out that the present government was following the policies of Pervez Musharraf and implementing secret agreements signed with the US. It called upon the government to extricate itself from the yoke of America and evolve its own independent economic and foreign policies.

It claimed that the issue of Talibanisation in Karachi was being propagated by an ethnic organisation and demanded of the government to rein in its coalition partners. Demanding immediate restoration of deposed judges of the superior judiciary, it condemned the modus operandi adopted by the government to reinstate judges.

The conference was largely attended by the Ulema and Mashaikh and custodians of shrines, including Shah Mohammad Anas Noorani, Chairman World Islamic Mission, Shah Mohammad Awais Noorani, Dr Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair, Pir Abdul Khaliq of Bharchoondi Sharif, Allama Jamil Ahmed Naeemi, Mufti Abdul Rehman Thattvi and many others.

SUNNI TEHRIK: Rejecting what it called non-Islamic recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology of Pakistan on marriage, divorce and other issues, the Sunni Tehrik Hyderabad chapter warned the government that if attempt was made to implement recommendations, the Tehrik with the help of ulema will launch a countrywide protest movement.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Monday, central leaders of the Tehrik said that according to Sharia, verbal divorce is valid and the contention of the council that it was invalid was totally against the Islamic injunctions.

Similarly, the edict of the council that the divorce will become valid automatically after 90 days was equally against the Islamic injunctions.