PESHAWAR, March 23: Activists of Defa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC) and Shabab Milli held a protest demonstration at Sher Shah Suri Road on Friday against the government for what they said planning to reopen Nato supply routes to Afghanistan.

The protesters were led by Jamaat-i-Islami provincial secretary information Israrullah advocate and Shabab Milli Peshawar president Mr Shahzad. The participants also shouted anti-government and anti-Nato slogans.

They said that US forces were involved in killing of innocent people both in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the government should announce complete ban on supply of goods for Nato forces.

The killing of innocent people as result of the drone attacks in the tribal regions, they said could not be ignored as majority of the victims were innocent and had nothing to do with terrorism.

Criticising the Awami National Party, they said the leaders of the party claimed to be the champions of Pakhtuns’ rights, but they also failed to serve the Pakhtuns during their tenure in the government.

Meanwhile, another procession was taken out at Chowk Yadgar which was led by Maulana Syed Yousuf Shah.

TIMERGARA:  The Jamaat-i-Islami, Lower Dir chapter, on Friday held a protest rally against what it called the federal government’s wish to restore the Nato supply route and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for ‘excluding’ verses of the holy Quran and Hadiths from schools’ syllabus.

Workers of the JI took out a procession led by district amir and former MNA Maulana Asadullah from its headquarters in Balambat. Carrying banners and placards the demonstrators marched on the road and chanted slogans against the government and Nato forces.

They held a rally at the rest house chowk and blocked the road for some time.

CHITRAL: Jamaat-i-Islami, Chitral held a meeting to protest against the proposed reopening of the route for the Nato supply on Friday.

The speakers, including Maulana Sher Aziz, Maulana Israruddin Al-Hilal and others warned the government that if the supply line was restored, it will be disastrous for it.

They alleged president Zardari was trying to please the Americans by restoring the controversial supply line against the wishes of the people of the country.

They also criticised the provincial government for ‘bringing about’ obnoxious changes in the curriculum of school by ‘excluding’ the Islamic teachings.

LAKKI MARWAT: Workers of JUI-F took out a protest rally in Naurang on Friday to condemn ‘exclusion’ of Quranic verses from the textbooks.

Led by JUI-F district general secretary Maulana Bashir Ahmad Haqqani and Naurang chapter chief Mufti Ziaullah, the rally which started from Majeedi mosque in Naurang city, turned into a gathering at old railway crossing, after passing through different bazaars. The protesters raised slogans Rallies against proposed Nato supplies’ reopening  against the government.

The JUI leaders said ‘removal’ of Quranic verses from the course was aimed at depriving the students of Islamic education, adding the government had ‘changed’ the course of Islamic Studies book to appease the US and western powers.

NOWSHERA: Jamaat-i-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad said the party workers would stop the Nato supplies by force if the government restored the supply route.

“Workers of JI would stop Nato supplies by force if the route was restored,” said Qazi Hussain, while addressing a public meeting at Nowshera Kalan on Friday.

He was of the opinion that only JI could bring real change in Pakistan if people extended support to the party in the coming election.  He criticised the policies of Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party and said the two parties ignored the problems of the people and were trying to promote secularism in the country.