KARACHI, June 1: Noted ulema and other prominent figures at a condolence meeting held to pay homage to Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai at Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia, Binnori Town, here on Tuesday , endorsed the call given by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal for a day of protest and peaceful strike on Friday.

The protest day would be observed against the assassination of Mufti Shamzai in a terrorist attack on Wednesday. Speakers at the meeting appealed to the people to join in the nation wide peaceful strike to demonstrate that they stood against terrorism and the hostile forces' nefarious designs aimed at undermining Islam.

They held the US and Jewish lobbies responsible for the elimination of great Ummah leaders one after the other as well as for acts of terrorism targeted at mosques and Imambargahs. Lackeys of rulers, they said, were trying to give the bombings at places of worship a sectarian colour in line with the US agenda.

Stressing the need for keeping an eye on certain multinational companies, NGOs and missionary institutions, they described the arrest of opposition activists and supporters in such cases as 'provocation'.

They told the government to uphold the sanctity of funeral rites and make sure that use of force, like teargas shelling, firing, lathicharge etc., was avoided during such processions.

The meeting adopted a resolution which paid glowing tribute to the services of Mufti Shamzai in spreading knowledge and promoting jihad and tableegh, besides providing a great deal of assistance to oppressed people in Islamic world.

Those who spoke at the meeting included Dr Abdul Razzaq Iskandar, Qari Muhammad Osman, Hazrat Bilal, Dr Azizuddin, Maulana Aminuddin Shamzai, Maulana Taqiuddin Shamzai, Maulana Omar Sadiq, Maulana Ehsanullah Hazarvi, Hafiz Muhammad Taqi, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Maulana Abdul Karim Abid, Mufti Muhammad Jamil Khan, Mufti Osmanyar Khan, Maulana Himadullah Shah, Maulana Saeed Iskandar, Maulana Saeed Ahmad Jalali, Maulana Nazeer Ahmad Taunsvi, Maulana Suleman Binnori, Maulana Khan Muhammad Rabbani, Nasrullah Shaji, Qari Attiqur Rehman, Maulana Azizur Rehman and Qari Sher Afzal.