FAISALABAD, June 13 All markets of the Clock Tower bazaars remained closed on Saturday to protest the killing of Dr Sarfraz Naeemi during a suicide blast in Lahore on Friday.

On a strike call given by the Anjuman-i-Tajran, markets of Clock Tower bazaars — Kutchery, Rail, Kharkhana, Montgomery, Jhang, Bhawana, Aminpur and Chiniot Bazaar — and of Jaranwala Road, Samundari Road, Sattiana Road and Ghulam Mohammadabad areas remained closed throughout the day. However, markets of peripheries and mohallas remained opened.

Some religious activists approached these shops in different localities to compel their owners to close down their businesses. However, no untoward incident was reported.

Activists of the Anjuman-i-Tulaba Islam and the Sunni Tehrik staged separate protest rallies to reach Clock Tower intersection.

A rally, led by Qari Afzal Qadri and Hidayat Rasool of the Jamaat Ahle Sunnat (JAS), was taken out from Jamia Sunni Rizvi mosque, Jhang Bazaar, and reached the Clock Tower. The protesters torched tyres at the Clock Tower intersection and chanted slogans against perpetrators of Jamia Naeemia blast.

Addressing the participants, speakers said terrorists had been ruining the peace and tranquility in Pakistan for their vested interests. They said external hands were disrupting the peace and the nation must stand up against them. They demanded of the government devise a foolproof strategy to eliminate terrorists.

A reference was also organised by the University of Faisalabad, a private university, chaired by Dr Zahoor Ahmad Azahr, who is also the teacher of Dr Naeemi. The participants praised the services of Dr Naeemi for religion and adopted a resolution unanimously, condemning terrorism activities.

BAHAWALPUR Protests rallies and demonstrations were organised in the district by different religious organisation to mourn the killing of Dr Naeemi.

Students of various religious seminaries staged rallies and staged sit-ins. A police contingent was deployed to avoid any untoward incident.

Activists of Islami Jamiat Tulba staged a rally from JI office at Masjid Al-Haq to Farid Gate. They raised slogans against the assassins of Dr Naeemi and also against the MQM for resorting to target killings in Karachi.

Students and teachers of seminaries staged a rally from Masjid Searani on Multan Road to Farid Gate. Later, students of seminaries of Model Town's A and B blocks joined the main rally and marched on Eidgah Road, Milad Chowk, Circular Road, Fawara Chowk, College Road to reach Farid Gate.

SARGODHA JAS leader Khalid Iqbal Mussarat called the assassination of Dr Naeemi and his associates an intrigue to bifurcate the Muslim sects who are united against terrorism. In a statement, he said police and law-enforcing agencies should provide protection to clerics and religious leaders.

KASUR Rallies were taken out in Pattoki, Phoolnagar, Chunnian and Kanganpur localities to condemn the killing of Dr Naeemi.

A partial shutter down strike was also observed in these towns and cities. However, no such activity took place in the district headquarters city of Kasur. In Pattoki, 200 or so demonstrators led by Allama Syed Shabir Ahemd Hashmi of the JUP, Hafiz Shahid Husain of Sunni Tehrik and Markzi Anjuman Tajran president Rana Mumtaz held a rally from railway station which reached Hallh Chowk via Rail Bazaar and Kutchery Chowk.

Speaking on the occasion, Allama Hashmi said the government had failed to protect the lives and properties of the people. He said Dr Naeemi's 'crime' was that he raised an emphatic voice against Taliban.

In Phoolnagar, 300 or so protesters belonging to the JUP and JI burnt tyres and blocked Multan Road throwing traffic out of gear for quite sometime. Syed Zakar Hussain Shah of the JUP, Mufti Asghar Rasheed and Haji Ramzan and Haji Dawood of the JI staged a rally from Jamia Anwar-i-Ghausia to Phoolnagar Sadar police station.

The speakers said terrorist activities in the country were a part of the international conspiracy against the Muslims and Islam.

Similar rallies were taken out in Kanganpur and Chunnia in which the protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the terrorists.

GUJRANWALA Traders observed a complete strike while lawyers boycotted court proceedings and activists of various religious organisations including JAS and Sunni Tehrik took out protest rallies to condemn the killing of Dr Naeemi.

The Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce Industry president Akram Badshah and Markazi Anjuman Tajran president Dr. Mahmood Ahmad said here on Saturday that almost all bazaars and markets in the city remained closed. They said that traders of Ghakhar, Wazirabad, Kamoki, Qila Dedar Singh, Eimenabad, Naushehra Virkan, Alipur Chattha, Sodhra and Rahwali also observed strike.

District Bar Association (DBA) president Amir Afzal said that the lawyers boycotted court proceedings and later adopted a resolution to pay tribute to Dr. Naeemi for the services he rendered for Islam and peace. The resolution also demanded of the government adopt stringent security measures to protect the life and property of the masses. The lawyers of Wazirabad Tehsil Bar Association also boycotted the courts.

The activists of JAS and other religious organisation took out a protest rally on G.T. Road. Carrying banners and placards, the protesters chanted slogans against Taliban and extremists and said that they were enemies of Islam and the nation.

TOBA TEK SINGH The activist of JAS took out a rally from Kamal Chowk to Sadar Bazaar Chowk to condemn the assassination of Dr Naeemi. Speaking on the occasion, Tanzeem Ulema-i-Ahle Sunnah chief Maulana Abdul Munem Siddiqui, Maulana Shamsuzzaman Qadri and Moulana Mufti Abdul Manan demanded of the government provide proper protection to clerics and scholars. They also demanded immediate arrest of the culprits behind the suicide attack.

Complete strike was observed in Gojra while partial strike was observed in Kamalia. However, no strike was observed at the district headquarter city of Toba Tek Singh.

A protest rally was taken out in Kamalia which was led by Maulana Manzoor Latif. Similarly, Qari Abdul Khalid led a rally in Rajana while Maulana Akbar Rizvi led a rally in Pirmahal.

DBA members also observed strike. A DBA general house meeting was held with bar president Chaudhry Ramzan Cheechi in the chair which passed a resolution, calling the killing of Dr Naeemi a failure of the government in protecting the life of peaceful religious scholars.