ATTOCK, July 22: The city police have registered a case against 20 leaders of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) including its top leaders Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Maulana Fazalur Rehman on the charges of fiery speeches against President Musharraf and the government during a public meeting recently.

According to sources, FIR No-205 under 16-MPO was registered by the police against the accused including MNAs Liaqut Baluch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi, Dr Abul-khair Mohammad Zubair, Maulana Mohammad Khan Shirani, Maulana Noor Mohammad, Mian Mohammad Aslam and Mohammad Usman Khan.

Among them are also Qari Sher Afzal, Qari Attiqur Rehman, Qari Zawar Bahudar, Maulana Abdul Jalil Naqvi, Pir Aftab Ahmed, Syed Shabeer Ahmed Hashmi, Maulana Nawabul Hasan, Maulana Abdul Salam, Qari Sher Zaman and Maulana Zahid Mehmood Noorani.

The MMA leaders were accused of making derogatory remarks against Gen Musharraf besides criticizing policies of the government in a public meeting held here on July 17. However, no arrest of any leader was made so far.

Sources said that the case was registered against MMA leaders on the orders of SP investigations Attock, while the District Police Officer Zafar Iqbal Awan was on leave.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by MMA spokesperson Hafiz Sanaullah Shah said that local leaders including MMA district head Barkat Ali Khan, Shahab Rafique, Nasir Iqbal, Israr Ahmed Sheikh, Khalid Mehmood, Mukhtar Khattak and others have strongly condemned registration of the case against their leadership and termed it an act of political victimisation.

They regretted that the government committed a blunder by registering cases. “Every person of the state should have the freedom of speech,” the spokesperson said.

Criticizing the government he said that on one hand the government claims that there is democracy in the country and while on the other hand “we have lost our freedom of expression.”

He expressed concern over the performance of law enforcing agencies and said that the government should take wise steps in the prevailing critical situation of the country instated of creating confrontation through ‘illegal’ tactics.

“Despite pressures, tactics, FIRs and arrests, MMA is still on high moral and committed to continue its protest in the country till the removal of the regime,” he added.