QUETTA, May 10: Workers and supporters of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam staged a protest demonstration against the coalition forces’ operations in religious schools in the tribal areas close to Afghan border, here on Friday.

Around 300 JUI workers, led by party’s District President Maulana Noor Mohammad, gathered outside the central mosque after the Jumma prayers and started chanting slogans against President Gen Pervez Musharraf and United States President George Bush.

They were carrying party flags and placards inscribed with the slogans against the US and Pakistan government, including: “Operation against religious schools must stop.”

The demonstrators tried to march on the main streets of the city but senior police officials present on the occasion did not allow them to take out a procession. Heavy contingent of police and Balochistan Reserve Police cordoned off the whole area while armoured cars and horse-riding police guards were also deployed at the main roads and other places to meet any untoward situation.

Maulana Noor, speaking to the protesters, strongly criticized the military government, and said: “General Musharraf has to go now,” The nation, he claimed, had rejected him and his policies in the referendum.

He alleged that President Musharraf was implementing Bush agenda against the interests of the country.

Criticising Musharraf government’s policy vis-a-vis the downfall of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, he claimed that the entire nation had opposed his policies of extending support to the US-led coalition forces for launching operation against the then Taliban government.

He opined that after destroying Afghanistan, the US forces wanted to enter Pakistan to launch operation in the name of Osama’s arrest. The US forces, he added, were conducting raids on religious schools inside Pakistan “with the help” of Pakistan forces.