ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) on Monday staged a protest demonstration in front of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club camp office here and demanded of the government to immediately stop raids on Madressahs and arrest the police officials involved in torturing Maulana Noor Mohammad to death.

Hundreds of workers and Madressah students participated in the demonstration. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans such as "the government is American agent and responsible for terrorist activities in the country", etc.

Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said the government should stop raids on seminaries, operation in Wana and Balochistan and arrest the policemen who were involved in torturing Maulana Noor.

He also demanded arrest of those who gave wrong information to the police about Maulana Noor. He said the body of the Maulana was recovered from the district headquarters hospital Faisalabad one week after his disappearance. "There were over 82 marks of torture on his body, including some signs of drilling," Maulana Haideri alleged.

He said if the government failed to meet their demands, the JUI would launch a country wide demonstration against the government from Friday. "If the government has any information about the involvement of any madressah in terrorist activity, it should share it with us and we will help the government close such a seminary," he added.

MNA Mian Mohammad Aslam said the government was leading the country towards a civil war at the behest of the US. He said the religious parties would not allow the government to change Hudood and blasphemy laws.