LAHORE, Nov 10: The Pak-Afghan Defence Council gave on Saturday another call for countrywide protests on Nov 16 to press for the release of leaders and workers of its component parties.

The arrested leaders included JI Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad, JUI Amir Maulana Fazlur Rahman and SSP head Maulana Azam Tariq. This is in addition to the workers and leaders arrested during the wheeljam strike on Friday.

The call for another round of protests was given here by acting JI Amir Syed Munawwar Hasan, JUP Chief Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, Pak-Afghan Defence Council Chairman Maulana Samiul Haq, Jamiat Ahle Hadith Amir Prof Sajid Mir, JUI Secretary-General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Tanzim-i-Islami Amir Dr Israr Ahmad and the council’s chief organizer Liaquat Baloch.

Leaders of the parties in the council will speak to the participants in the peaceful demonstrations, meetings and rallies to be held on Nov 16 all over the country.

The leaders who gave the call for the protest said the success of the wheeljam strike had flabbergasted the rulers. They had realized that the silent majority of the people to whom they considered as their subjects too had come out against their anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan policies.

They said the past governments who towed the American line could not be saved by it and the present rulers will also face the same fate.