MANSEHRA, Jan 27: The local leaders of religious parties have opposed the nomination of Asma Jahangir, a women rights activist, as caretaker prime minister.

“We condemn Mian Nawaz Sharif for nominating Ms Jahangir for the office of caretaker prime minister. If he (Nawaz Sharif) doesn’t withdraw the nomination, we will launch a countrywide agitation against it,” Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) district chief Syed Hidayatullah Shah told a press conference here on Sunday.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) district chief Younas Khattak and district president of Tahafiz-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwat Abdul Rauf Raufi also spoke on the occasion and opposed nomination of Ms Jahangir as caretaker prime minister.

The JUI-F leader said that Ms Jahangir had demanded release of a blasphemy accused even before starting of her trial in the court last year.

“We want justice for everyone without any discrimination of religion and creed through court of justice but Ms Jahangir wanted release of Asia without trial that shows her mindset,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Younas Khattak said that they were already in contact with their central leaders on the issue. “If our demand is not accepted, we will be left with no other option but to launch a countrywide agitation against it,” he said.

The JI leader said that the government was bound after the passage of 18th Amendment to consider the nominations presented by the opposition parties for the caretaker setup. “We also warn the government to avoid inducting Ms Jahangir in the caretaker setup,” he added.

Haroonur Rasheed, the representative of local traders, also spoke on the occasion and said that business of community of Hazara division was against the induction of Ms Jahangir in the caretaker setup.