KARACHI, Feb 26: The president of the Islami Tehrik, Sindh, Allama Hasan Turabi, has demanded of the government to arrest those involved in the killing of nine innocent people in Al-Falah Society and initiate judicial inquiry by a High Court judge into the incident.

Speaking at a press conference at a local hotel on Wednesday, he said that to press the demand a peaceful protest rally would be organized on Feb 28 after Friday prayers outside the Khoja Jamia Masjid in Kharadar, where MMA leaders will address the gathering.

Allama Turabi, who is also the provincial vice-president of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, called upon the people to be cautious against the conspiracies being hatched by Israeli and Indian secret agencies to create schism in the Ummah.

He said like in the past these agents first targeted the Shias and then holding the Sunnis responsible for the crime killed the latter to give an impression of a retaliation, although he added, no Shia was involved in such senseless killing of fellow Muslims.

He said those indirectly pointing towards the MMA were neither friends of Shias nor were doing any service to Islam or the country.

Allama Turabi also disapproved of those who criticized the City Nazim and said that Naimatullah Khan had always opposed excesses by remaining over and above party politics.

In reply to questions, he said that the formation of the MMA had helped eliminate religious hatred. The hostile internal and external forces had suffered a setback after the formation of the alliance, he remarked.

The Islami Tehrik leader said that perfunctory action against police officials was aimed just to cool down public sentiment as after a short period the suspended officials would be reinstated.

Criticizing the new police system, he said that instead of delivering any good it eliminated whatever check-and-balance system had existed in the past.

Earlier, reading from his written statement Allama Turabi said that Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) chief Azam Tariq had come to Karachi before going on Haj and besides meeting government functionaries he visited the central prison and met detained workers of Lashkar Jhangvi and the SSP.

Accusing Mr Tariq of reviving the dead network of terrorism under the leadership of Qari Asad, he said that when he had been arrested, police and secret agencies used to receive threats.

“Had the police acted timely, the tragedy of Malir could have been averted” he observed.

He said two weeks ago some people were seen filming the Muntazirul Mehdi Imambargah in Al-Falah Society and when the area people questioned their presence the strangers said that they belonged to an NGO. The matter, he added, was reported to the police who failed to take any precautionary measures.

He lamented that law and order situation in Karachi had been deteriorating and the administration had failed to take action on a number of murder cases as the heirs of the deceased were not influential.

Allama Turabi said that Qari Saeed of Darul Uloom of Amjadia, Qari Attaul Hasan, journalist Syed Saghir Hussain Kazmi and Khalid bin Waleed were killed by terrorists but the police had so far failed to arrest the killers.

The MMA leader was also critical of the trial procedure in which, according to him, killers got certificate of innocence and were bailed out.

He demanded that in order to eliminate terrorism all those who abet the terrorists in their activities and those who declared the killing of human being a religious duty should be arrested and prosecuted and that judicial system be activated by appointing judges with good reputation.