RAWALPINDI, April 17: Activists of banned Hizbut Tahrir on Sunday managed to stage a demonstration in front of Liaquat Bagh at Benazir Bhutto Road by hoodwinking police.

The outfit announced to hold a protest at Landa Bazaar near Iqbal Road. As only a few activists reached Iqbal Road, they were easily dispersed by police. One of them, Mohammad Waqas, was arrested.

In the meantime, more than 100 Hizbut Tahrir activists gathered at Liaquat Bagh. Between the ages of 22 to 28 years, most of the young men were wearing trousers and shirts. They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans demanding Khilafaat in the country.

They blocked the road for half an hour, creating traffic jams at adjoining roads, including Liaquat Road, College Road, Tipu Road, and Iqbal Road. They chanted slogans against the US and the government.

“We held a dummy demonstration to keep the police away,” Imran Yousafzai, a spokesman for Hizbut Tahrir, told Dawn .

He said as they tried to hold an exhibition in front of the Islamabad Press Club, police arrested Osama Hanif, Mohammad Naeem and Dr Tahir Banori. The three were released on bail on Saturday.

“We deceived police to save our workers from arrest.”

Earlier addressing the gathering, Engineer Junaid Khan, a member of Hizb ut Tahrir, termed Khilafaat as the panacea of all problems faced by the people of Pakistan. He said the American and Nato forces were killing the innocent people in Pakistan.

He said the wave of change has spread throughout the Muslim world. “Under the current system, the rich are becoming richer and the poor only becoming poorer.”

He said the West always backed the dictators and exploited the democratic leaders in countries like Pakistan. “People don't want American and western Raj to continue in the country.”

Later, the participants dispersed peacefully.