KARACHI, July 10: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Sunday staged a protest rally outside the Karachi Press Club against target killings of many ulema, most recently of Mufti Shamsuddin and Mufti Attiqur Rehman, as well as leaders and activists of various political and religious parties. They also condemned the backbreaking hike in the prices of fuel and essential commodities.

The participants, holding banners and placards, demanded arrest of ulema’s killers and withdrawal of all decisions of increasing POL rates which, they said, had led to the increase in prices of all other commodities.

Addressing the protesters, MMA leaders held the government responsible for assassinations, acts of terrorism, violence, lawlessness and rampant plunder in the country, particularly Sindh.

Allama Hasan Turabi said that the government had promised that no mini-budget would be coming during the whole fiscal, but the first of the same had been imposed on poor people only 15 days after the budget.

Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, rejecting the government’s tall claim of improvement in the economy, and pointed out the common man was overburdened by soaring prices.

Maulana Khan Mohammad Rabbani said that a government that had absolutely failed in ensuring safety and security of people and emancipate them from poverty and unemployment had no right to rule over them.