RAWALPINDI, July 15: Senior leaders of Mutahida Majlis-i- Amal (MMA) here on Monday stressed on greater unity amongst the religious parties to rid the country of exploitative rulers.

The leaders expressed these views at a function arranged by the MMA workers. Those who attended the function included the MMA president, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, Naib Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Hussain Ahmad and Allama Sajid Naqvi.

The religious leaders criticized the government for distorting the 1973 Constitution which was unanimously framed by both the rightist and leftist parties. They said the forthcoming elections were very crucial for the country, adding that these polls would draw a line between secular forces and religious parties.

The MMA, if voted to power, would free the country of the slavery of the West. They stressed on their workers to reach every individual and inform them about the designs of the incumbent rulers and convince them to vote for the MMA candidates.

In his concluding remarks, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani said the unification of all religious parties was a big blow to the secular forces who were trying to turn the country into a secular state. He said Pakistan was created in the name of Islam, but since its inception the dream of implementing an Islamic Shariah was not fulfilled.

MMA, he said, would revive the spirit of Pakistan’s ideology. He criticized the government for putting restrictions on mosques and religious seminaries and giving a free hand to the NGOs which, he said, were funded by the western agents.

He said Islam was a protector of minorities’ rights and therefore the minorities should support the MMA.

Qazi Hussain Ahmad said the manifesto of the Majlis Amal was framed with mutual consultation, and all component parties in the alliance would contest elections under a single symbol.

He demanded of the government to implement the Islamic recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). He accused the army rulers of following the dictation of the US and the West at the cost of Islam and its own people.