FAISALABAD, April 8: Activists of the MMA on Friday took out rallies across Punjab against arrest of their leaders.

In Faisalabad, hundreds of religious workers and MMA activists demonstrated in Sidhupura.

Led by MMA leaders, the protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands. They also chanted slogans against the government and described the arrest of religious workers as highly uncalled for.

The leaders said the government was playing in the hands of anti-Islam forces and the country was being converted into a secular state.

They threatened to come on roads if their arrested leaders were not released within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, MNA Abid Sher Ali, MPAs Sheikh Ijaz and Malik Nawaz and other PML-N leaders Chaudhry Sher Ali, Khwaja Muhammad Islam and Rana Afzal condemned the arrest of former MNA Mian Abdul Mannan in a terrorism case.

They said the PML-N MNA was arrested to put the screws on other opposition leaders.

GUJRANWALA: MMA activists staged a rally against the administration and police for arresting over 100 workers of religious parties and students of seminaries during marathon..

About 3,000 MMA activists gathered outside Sheranwala Bagh after Friday prayers and then marched up to the old city railway station.

The rally was also addressed by district president Maulana Ali Ahmad Jami, secretary-general Bilal Qudrat, Maulana Syed Abdul Malik Shah and others.

They demanded through a resolution that arrested MMA leader Maulana Qazi Hamidullah and his son, who were shifted to Sahiwal jail, should be brought back to Gujranwala jail till today. They also called for immediate transfer of the DCO and the DPO.

They also demanded that all the arrested activists, including the MNA, should be released while cases registered against them under terrorism act should be withdrawn immediately.

SIALKOT: Ulema from all schools of thought passed various anti-government and anti-obscenity resolutions in their Friday sermons in Sialkot and Narowal.

The ulema strongly ripped to shreds anti-Islamic activities of the present government in the name of enlightenment and moderation.

BAHAWALPUR: The MMA observed protest day against the arrest of its activists in Gujranwala’s marathon race.

MMA activists brought out a protest rally after Friday prayers from Jamia Masjid Al-Sadiq. Led by MMA leaders, including Riaz Chughtai, Mian Muhammad Saeed and others, the participants marched towards Chowk Bazaar.