LAHORE, Jan 22: The Difa-i-Islam Mahaz, comprising 13 Sunni parties, rejected on Tuesday joint electorate for minorities and a ban on the use of loudspeakers in mosques.

A meeting presided over by Dr Sarfraz Naeemi criticized the decision to register religious seminaries. It demanded that the decision should be implemented only after taking into confidence the organizations sponsoring the religious schools.

The meeting condemned the alleged harassment of the members of mosque committees by the district Nazims and the police. It demanded the release of the ulema arrested on charges of violating the ban on use of loudspeaker. The participants would not accept unreasonable restrictions.

The participants dismissed the model mosques being introduced in the province as ‘playgrounds.’

It announced that a seminar on Difa-i-Islam will be held in Lahore on Feb 5 to show solidarity with Kashmiri people.

The meeting welcomed the ban on militant groups but regretted that ethnic militants in Karachi had been ignored.