LAHORE, March 18: Scores of Ahle-i-Hadith Youth Force (AHYF) activists staged on Sunday a protest rally near the Lahore Press Club, demanding the arrest of culprits involved in the murder of religious scholar Prof Hafiz Abdul Rashid Azhar.

Led by AHYF President Hafiz Zakirur Rehman Siddiqui, the protesters chanted slogans against the government for its failure in maintaining law and order. Carrying placards and banners, they burnt the effigy of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and blocked the traffic leading to Simla Hill.

They said the killing of the scholar in Islamabad was a complete failure of the government as well as the sensitive agencies. Also, Jamatud Dawa (deaf and dumb) also staged a protest rally near the Lahore Press Club against the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran by Nato forces.