KARACHI, Feb 15: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Sindh, has strongly condemned violence and loss of precious lives in Lahore and Peshawar, and claimed that ‘a hidden hand’ is fully active to sabotage the peaceful protest against the publication of blasphemous cartoons.

They accused the Lahore police of resorting to unprovoked shelling and firing at the peaceful demonstrators.

MMA Sindh chief Asadullah Bhutto (MNA), General Secretary Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Allama Hasan Turabi, Hashim Siddiqui, Maulana Yousuf Kasuri, Mumtaz Hussain Sahito, Maulana Saeedur Rehman, Qari Usman and Mujahid Channa, in a joint statement issued here on Wednesday, said that those involved in firing on peaceful demonstrators were enemies of the nation and humanity.

They also criticized the arrest of innocent protesters and registration of cases against them, accusing the government of complicating the issue further.

They apprehended that the ‘hidden hand’ might repeat the Lahore and Peshawar episodes in other parts of the country, including Karachi, during the protests scheduled for the coming days.

They observed that ensuring law and order was the responsibility of the government, and if violence took place during the upcoming rallies and demonstrations, the administration would be held responsible.

They said that the MMA’s protest on March 3 would completely be peaceful.

They called upon the government to sever ties with all the countries involved in this ‘shameful conspiracy against Islam and Muslims’.

The MMA leaders also demanded foolproof arrangements to ensure protection to the life and property of citizens, and payment of compensation to those who died or injured in the violence. He further called for the release of all those arrested during the anti-blasphemy protest withdrawal of cases against them.—PPI