KARACHI, July 4: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief, Senator Shah Ahmad Noorani, condemning the decision of unseating of MNA Mufti Abrar Sultan from Kohat, has said that the decision was purely political.

He pointed out that the University Grants Commission and the Election Commission had declared the certificate of religious schools equal to MA degree, but now declaring it not even equal to BA degree was a manifestation of political designs of the government.

Mr Noorani was addressing the central protest rally, which was a part of the country-wide protest against the non- recognition of Sanads of religious schools observed on the call of MMA.

Other speakers at the rally organized outside Karachi Press Club were Jamaat-i-Islami secretary general, Syed Munawwar Hasan; vice-president of MMA, Maulana Abdul Karim Abid; MNA Muhammad Hussain Mehanti; Allama Hasan Turabi; Hafiz Muhammad Taqi; Maulana Yusuf Qasuri and Maulana Usman Yar Khan.

The participants were holding flags of MMA and banners inscribed with slogans like “Mufti Abrar Sultan’s unseating decision is unjust” and “illegal tactics of the government could not blackmail the MMA”.

Besides, protest meetings were staged outside various mosques after Friday prayers, where the MMA leaders mobilized people to launch movement for restoration of 1973’s constitution.

In his speech, Mr Noorani condemned the alleged government propaganda against MMA for being its preoccupation with Legal Framework Order (LFO) at the cost of other pressing problems of the masses.

He said that the combined opposition parties were opposing the LFO to safeguard the supremacy of constitution, judiciary and parliament where no individual can dare to bargain over sovereignty, dignity and self-respect of the nation by allowing America to use our land, air bases and space for unleashing aggression against Muslims.

“If the LFO is accepted by the opposition, the individual would continue to appoint judges on his will; could send home the parliament, especially when there will be a demand on getting back our bases from the US,” he said.

He said that the MMA was striving against the LFO to get Pakistani bases vacated from the US army, secure our freedom and security. He said, “The LFO means continuation of dictatorship, rule of individual, and leave people to face poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy, closure of factories, and the US bases should remain in the country.”

Mr Noorani said that approval of the LFO also meant to provide a free hand to the US to unleash its aggression against Iraq and Afghanistan. The US troops present in Pakistan could also target Iran, he added.

He admitted that there were bloodshed in Afghanistan, and said that the Mujahideen had not surrendered and were continuing Jehad, just as people were giving resistance in Iraq. “The day was not far away, when Afghanistan and Iraq would prove to be the graveyard of Americans,” he remarked.

Mr Syed Munawwar Hasan said that the MMA wanted to resolve issues through dialogues, but the rulers had taken steps to manipulate the situation towards confrontation.

He accused Gen Musharraf of pitting the army against the masses, but it was the MMA that blocked such confrontations.