LAHORE, Nov 7: Jamaat-i-Islami naib amir Liaquat Baloch appealed to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to take a suo motu notice of the moves to prevent the people from exercising their right to protest against government’s policies.

At a hurriedly called news conference here, he said the superior courts should also decide on priority basis petitions filed against the arrest and detention of various political leaders.

Mr Baloch, who has just completed a visit to about 10 districts of the province, said he had gathered the impression that the Nov 9 strike would be very successful despite the threats and warnings being issued by the government to traders and transporters.

He said during his visit, people from all walks of life had assured him that they would observe the strike.

The JI leader alleged that the rulers were trying to convert religious parties’ peaceful movement into a violent one. Condemning such designs, he said the movement would continue till the achievement of its goals.

To express solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, being bombed by the US, and to condemn the government’s policy on Afghanistan, he said, the people should remain at their homes on Nov 9.

Mr Baloch was critical of the government’s decision to disallow the Afghan ambassador to hold news conferences to give the Taliban government’s point of view on various issues or to brief the media about the disaster caused by incessant bombing.

Answering a question, he said parties in the Pak Afghan Defence Council had decided to stay away from the conference being organized by the Millat Party. He advised Mr Farooq Leghari to desist from holding the moot.