KARACHI, Dec 10: A protest day was observed at Karachi's educational institutions on Friday on the appeal of the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) against the establishment of the Aga Khan University Board , changes in educational curricula and the government's educational policy.

Protest demonstrations were held at the University of Karachi, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Dow University of Health Sciences and other institutions.

Activists of the IJT also held demos outside major mosques in Karachi after the Friday prayers, which were also attended by general people. Participating demonstrators were carrying banners and placards, inscribed with slogans against the AKU board, government's pro-US policies and changes against the ideology of Pakistan in the curricula.

They also chanted slogans against certain government functionaries including the federal education minister and President Pervez Musharraf and demanded them to keep the interest of Pakistan above everything.

IJT office-bearers in their speeches warned the government to refrain from imposing the agenda of western countries on the people in general and students in particular, and let them study in accordance with Islamic teachings and ideology.

They also called upon the Aga Khan community to restrict its activities only to welfare services in the country and refrain from playing the role of "agents of the US and its allies".

Secretary General IJT Karachi Taufique Siddiqui speaking to a rally outside a mosque in Gulshan-i-Iqbal warned the spiritual leader of the Aga Khan community to avoid interfering into the educational affairs of Pakistan. "The government is allowing the establishment of the AKU Board to secularize our educational system, but we will strongly resist any such effort," he added. - PPI