LAHORE, Feb 19: Denouncing torture of participants of the Shan-i-Mustafa rally in Islamabad, MMA president Qazi Husain Ahmad vowed to oust the military government before March 23.

Terming police action against protesters in the federal capital a sheer violation of their constitutionally-guaranteed democratic rights, Qazi Husain gave a call for a countrywide protest day on Friday (Feb 24) to condemn it. He also announced that a complete shutter down and wheel jam strike would be observed on March 3. Earlier, the call was for a shutter down strike only.

“Days of the military government are numbered as it is using violent force to usurp constitutional and democratic rights of masses. We’ll not allow President Gen Musharraf to remain in power by March 23,” Qazi Husain said after being barred from leaving Mansoora for Islamabad on Sunday morning to lead the rally there.

He was put under house arrest for 30 days as police for the first time entered Jamaat-i-Islami headquarters Mansoora, which has been under siege for the last couple of days.

Qazi Hussain was released on Sunday night and the security cordon around the Jamaat headquaerters was lifted.