KARACHI, May 31: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad has announced to observe peaceful strike in Karachi on Wednesday against the murders of Muhammad Aslam Mujahid and Jamal Tahir and a bomb blast in Madinatul Ilm Mosque.

He announced that the protest demonstrations would be staged throughout the country against ‘official patronage of terrorism’. Besides, he declared that protest day would be observed on Friday throughout the country against desecration of Holy Quran and bomb blast at Bari Imam shrine.

These announcements were made by Qazi Hussain while addressing the participants of funeral prayer of Aslam Mujahid at Noorani Chowrangi, near Quaid’s mausoleum. After the funeral prayer, led by Qazi Hussain, the body was taken to Korangi No-1 for burial in Chakra Goth Graveyard.

Qazi Hussain also offered collective prayer for restoration of peace in the city and to get rid off the people from oppressors, murderers and plunderers.

Calling upon charged youths to show restraint and patience, Qazi Ahmad said that their peaceful protest would continue till arrests of the killers of Aslam Mujahid and Jamal Tahir.

He pointed out that there was no sectarian or ethnic tension in the country. He said that agents of enemies wanted to pit Muslims against each other and the government was patronizing the terrorists and plunderers. The MQM having patronage of Gen Pervez Musharraf had been given freehand to spread terrorism in Karachi. “The people are fed up with the politics of hatred and violence. The citizens of Karachi have joined hands with us against the US culture for upholding Mustafavi (SAW) culture,” he said. According to him, people have expressed their confidence in MMA and now people of Karachi would isolate Altaf Hussain, his terrorists and killers for good and their politics of terrorism and hoodlums would no more be allowed to work.

MMA chief alleged that Altaf Hussain was targeting his political and ideological rivals seeing hands down defeat to his group in the coming elections in Karachi owing to increasing popularity of the MMA.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad referred to the chain of events stating that when the MMA started movement for upholding sanctity of Holy Quran by observing protest day on May 27, a bomb blast was triggered in Bari Imam shrine. In Karachi, the murder of Aslam Mujahid and the bomb blast at Madinatul Ilm triggered the situation. He warned the people that forces were active against the country under the patronage of the United States, India and Israel. He said that Gen Musharraf openly termed himself an ally of the US, hosted L.K. Advani, who was behind arson of historic Babri Mosque and was talking of soft border with India.

Muhammad Yasin, brother of late Aslam Mujahid, addressing on the occasions said that the mission would continue and we would join it along with our children.

Khurram Mujahid, son of Aslam Mujahid, said that his father’s sacrifices would not go in vain and the extortionists would not find any place to hide themselves.

Others who also addressed the participants were JI Karachi chief, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui; Senior Provincial Minister in NWFP government, Sirajul Haque; City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan; representatives of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the Pakistan People’s Party, and the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy.