SWABI: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) on Thursday organised a workers convention here with its leaders insisting the anti-government PTI sit-in in Islamabad was a futile exercise and would end without achieving the objective.

They also said their party would resist bids to derail democracy in the country. The convention was the first after the election of the new JUI-F office-bearers in the district.

New JUI-F district chief Maulana Attaul Haq Dervish was the key organiser of the event.

JUI-F provincial deputy chief Maulana Rafiullah Qasmi said he was really shocked to see the people, who had conspired against democracy, call themselves democrats.

Regrets people conspiring against democracy call themselves democrats

JUI-F provincial general secretary Maulana Shujaul Mulk said democratic credentials of Islamabad protesters were questionable as they harmed the country’s interests and national unity at the time when the country was passing through a critical juncture.

Former provincial minister Maulana Fazal Ali said all political parties except PAT and PTI were united to protect democracy against conspiracies.

JUI-F district chief Maulana Attaul Haq said both PTI and PAT would get nothing out of the sit-ins and would return empty-handed. He said the PTI and PAT leaders wanted face-saving. The speakers called for unity among Muslim countries to face new challenges.

They said it was time that Muslim countries gather on a platform to plan ways and means to steer themselves out of the current crisis.

The speakers said Muslims had the capability to tackle problems facing them but there needed unity and determination for it. They said if Muslims were united, no one could harm them.

DEMANDED: Muttahida Mahaz Asatiza, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Abdul Manaf on Thursday demanded BPS-17 for all secondary school teachers (SSTs) and senior certified teachers (SCTs).

The demand was made during a meeting here. The participants said teachers had long been fighting for rights and would continue doing so. They said denial of rights had created unrest among teachers and therefore, the community should unite for rights.

“If we act together, our problems could resolve without delay,” Munaf said.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2014