PESHAWAR, Feb 17: The Jamaat-i-Islami has said that a ban on its protest rally scheduled for Sunday is unwarranted because it is against the anti-Muslim stance of the European Union, which is supporting Denmark on the provocative issue of blasphemy.

Speaking at a news conference here at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, JI provincial chief Sirajul Haq said the Jamaat was a disciplined party which had organised peaceful rallies in the past.

He said their rally planned for Feb 19 was a peaceful programme aimed at conveying a message to the west that Muslims would not tolerate any remarks against their Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).

He said a peaceful countrywide protest-cum-strike would be observed on March 3 to force Islamabad to send back the Danish envoy to Copenhagen and boycott Danish products.

He said the JI was in touch with international Islamic movements across the world and trying to get a Hurmat-i-Rasool (PBUH) resolution passed at the coming OIC meeting, and added that if it was passed then Muslim countries would take it to the UN General Assembly to get it adopted as international law.

He said that protests would continue untill Denmark and other European countries tendered an apology, Islamabad severed its trade and diplomatic relations with Denmark and an international law on reverence of sacred personages and places was passed.

Mr Haq said the JI would not allow miscreants, who marred the traders’ protest on Feb 15, to hijack its protest and attack property.