KARACHI, Aug 20: MMA leader Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui has demanded registration of murder case against the interior minister, and has asked the government to immediately halt the campaign against ulema and other religious persons.
He was speaking at a protest meeting outside Makkah mosque in Society area. "Rulers will have to change their pro-US policy, otherwise, they will face strong protests all over the country," he said, alleging that the said official had also become a criminal by ordering the murder of Qari Noor Mohammad in detention.
Dr Huda said that instead of arresting killers of ulema including those of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, the government had itself started arresting and killing ulema, which was deplorable.
"Arrests, torture and murder of ulema is aimed at creating harassment among them so that they refrain from opposing government's pro-US policies," he alleged, adding the whole operation was being carried out under US pressure.
According to him, the government considered religious parties and their growing popularity among people a threat, and in order to defame them, religious scholars were being labelled as al-Qaeda men and terrorists.
President, MMA Karachi Hafiz Mohammad Taqi said, on one hand, the US army was carrying out attacks on the shrine of Hazrat Ali (RA) in Iraq and on the other, Pakistani forces were bombing their own cities and people in its tribal areas.
"The Pakistan government has not uttered a single word against the US attack on the sacred city of Najaf, which is regrettable," he said, adding the government was trying its best to send Pakistani troops to Iraq under US pressure.
He said when the ulema and religious parties were compelling the government to refrain from sending troops to Iraq, they were being targeted. He vowed to continue their struggle against the government's pro-Us policies. Later, protesters dispersed while chanting anti-government slogans and demanding action against the killers of Qari Noor Muhammad in Faisalabad.
Similar protest demonstrations were held outside over 500 mosques in Karachi after Jumma prayers. Speakers criticised raids on religious seminaries all over the country.
The demonstrations were held on the appeal of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal against raids on madressahs, arrests of religious scholars, and killing of Qari Noor Mohammad in police custody. - PPI