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LAHORE, Jan 9: The Jamaat-i-Islami plans to organize a march between Lahore and Rawalpindi or Rawalpindi and Islamabad, possibly in the third week of February, to press the government to restore democracy, set up an independent election commission and desist from amending the constitution.
Protest against the arrest of several religious leaders and Gen Pervez Musharraf’s appointment as president are the other objectives of the proposed march, party sources said on Wednesday.
The plan came under discussion at a three-day meeting of the party’s central Shoora held under the chairmanship of acting amir Syed Munawwar Hasan. The meeting concluded on Wednesday after adopting resolutions on various subjects.
The party will also hold sit-ins at the four provincial headquarters to seek the release of JI amir Qazi Husain Ahmad. The schedule will be decided subsequently.
The Jamaat leaders are expected to meet Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan on Thursday to request him to immediately constitute a steering committee for the APC to launch a movement against the government.
It is said the other APC parties might also be approached for a joint struggle against the US agenda for Pakistan and to seek restoration of representative rule.
RESOLUTIONS: Maintaining that the restrictions on jihadi organizations and arrest of their leaders gave an impression of a weakening stand on Kashmir issue, the Jamaat-i-Islami sought reversal of these steps and an assurance of support to the people of occupied Kashmir.
A resolution appealed to the United Nations and other world organizations to take serious notice of India’s aggressive designs and mount pressure on New Delhi to withdraw its troops from the border. The resolution urged the Organization of Islamic Conference and other Islamic organizations to beware of the growing India-Israel relations and take the measures necessary to frustrate their conspiracies. It said instead of de-escalating the tension, British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s visit and President Bush’s statements had encouraged India to pursue its aggressive policy. President Gen Pervez Musharraf, it said, should have stuck to Pakistan’s principled stand on Kashmir and highlighted the difference between a freedom movement and terrorism.
Another resolution said that the military government’s economic and industrial policies were in conflict with the requirements of the situation. Downsizing and retrenchments, it sad, were adding to joblessness. It called for a raise in industrial workers’s salaries commensurate with the increase in prices. It also demanded withdrawal of the ordinance on dismissal from service, restoration of the pension scheme and an end to closure of state institutions under dictation from international financial institutions.
Yet another resolution expressed grave concern over what it called a cultural invasion of the society and the growing obscenity and vulgarity on the electronic media.
