HYDERABAD, April 22 The Hyderabad chapter of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement said on Wednesday that Taliban and Sufi Mohammad posed a serious danger to the very existence of the country and condemned Sufi Mohammad's utterances against the constitution, parliament and superior judiciary.

The party's zonal organiser Mohammad Sharif and other office-bearers said at a news conference at the press club that Pakistan, especially Sindh was passing through a very difficult phase where conspiracies of Talibanisation were in full swing.

Mr Sahrif said that the MQM had opposed the so-called Nizam-i-Adl in the National Assembly because the party believed it would encourage terrorists and extremists.

He said that in the wake of passage of the Nizam-i-Adl resolution, Sufi Mohammad was becoming more aggressive. He had now declared the Constitution, superior judiciary and the parliament as un-Islamic and democracy as a system of infidels, he said.

He said that interestingly, Sufi was criticising the assembly which had approved the same Nizam-i-Adl, which had emboldened and empowered him.

He regretted that the political and religious parties, civil society and even lawyers organisations were silent on this crucial issue. Taliban and Sufi Mohammad posed a serious danger to the very existence of the country and the international press was flush with reports that Pakistan was about to disintegrate, he said.

“Why are the lawyers' organisations which had raised the slogan 'we are out to save the country so join us' and other parties which had supported the movement have maintained a discreet silence over the issue,” he asked.

He said that his party would not tolerate any conspiracies against the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan and pointed out that yesterday “Amar Bil Maroof committee” of Tehrik-i-Taliban issued a threat to lawyers of Shangla, Malakand division, to face consequences if they attended courts and pursued cases.

The MQM leader demanded that the president and prime, interior minister, minister for law, attorney general and all the lawyers organisations should take notice of this threat.

He demanded that the elements who had threatened the lawyers should be arrested and awarded deterrent punishment and the lawyers of Shangla should be provided protection.

STP The Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party has condemned arrest of Nisar Keerio, president of Nawabshah chapter of the party, and others leaders and raids on the homes of party workers in the district.

The party's spokesman Nandlal Mahli said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the arrest of party workers was aimed at sabotaging the party's public meeting scheduled to be held in Nawabshah on April 29.

He said that police had launched an unannounced operation against the party and workers were being implicated in false cases.

He said that despite police action, the public meeting would not be cancelled and expressed the hope that tens of thousands of people would attend it.

He warned the authorities concerned of serious consequence if the arrested party leaders and workers were not released.