KARACHI, Feb 10: An association of private schools has decided to observe a strike on February 17 to register its protest against the publication of blasphemous caricatures in some European newspapers.

Syed Khalid Shah, chairman of the All Private Schools Management Association, Sindh, on Friday said that a meeting of regional heads of the association from across the province was held at Karachi. It was decided that all members of the association would keep their schools closed on Feb 17 to condemn the blasphemy that had sent a wave of shock and anger across the Muslim world.

The meeting was attended by office-bearers of the association, including Shaheen Qasimuddin, Mohammad Ahmad Khan, Ghulam Abbas Baloch, Mohammad Siddique, Imtiaz Ali, Syed Aqil Ahmad, Hassan Qutub, Masoodul Hassan, Younus Siddiqi, Ishrat Ahmad and Saeed Ahmad Khan.

The participants expressed the view that European newspapers were continuing to hurt the sentiments of Muslims by repeatedly reproducing the controversial sketches while their governments were also showing indifference to their provocative act. They termed the attitude of the newspapers and governments ‘highly regrettable’.

The decision to observe the one-day closure of private schools across the province is aimed at making the world realize that the section of press in question is not only involved in offending the Muslim community, but is also bent upon disturbing universal peace, according to Mr Shah.