LAHORE: The Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (JUP) has announced launching a countrywide Nizam-i-Mustafa conference.

The announcement was made at a party workers’ convention held here on Sunday.

In a declaration issued after the event, the party also sought a transparent and across-the-board accountability in the wake of Panama leaks, not sacrificing the China-Pak Economic Corridor at the altar of political interests, and taking the Karachi operation to its logical end.

It was against sending the government home before its constitutional term or forcing it to hold mid-term polls.

The JUP also demanded withdrawal of the Punjab women protection law terming it against Shariah, while it urged upon both Iran and Saudi Arabia to desist from fighting their proxy war in Pakistan.

The convention was addressed by party president Pir Ijaz Hashmi, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq, Shah Awais Noorani, Zawwar Bahadur, Dr Raghib Naeemi and others.

Mr Hashmi urged the religious parties to focus on Islam instead of Islamabad, a reference to falling for “worldly gains” by some religious leaders.

The JI leader asserted that the real democracy could not be introduced without eliminating the corrupt mafia from the political field.

Mr Noorani demanded a ban on MQM on the basis of its alleged links with the Indian secret agency RAW.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2016