LAHORE, Jan 9: The Anti-War Committee, a representative body of 26 left-wing parties and organizations, held a demonstration at the Regal Chowk on The Mall here on Thursday to protest looming US attack on Iraq.

The participants chanted slogans against US president Bush and UK prime minister Tony Blair, terming both of them killers.

The committee will demonstrate daily at the Chowk until Jan 18 when it will take out a rally from the Faletti’s up to the American consulate behind the Governor’s House.

The body and the National Workers Party will also hold a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club on Friday (today).

JAMAAT AHLE HADITH: Residents of Manawan and the Jamaat Ahle Hadith also assembled outside the Press Club to demand release of Dr Ahmad Javed Khwaja and his other family members.

They raised slogans against Gen Pervez Musharraf and US President Bush and criticized the Pakistan government for giving the FBI a free hand to operate in the country.

PEOPLE’S LABOUR BUREAU: Activists of the labour union led by PPP leader Abdul Qadir Shaheen demonstrated outside the Press Club to demand reinstatement of sacked employees of Railways, Wapda, PIA, nationalized banks and other state departments besides withdrawal of cases against PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PML-N patron Nawaz Sharif.

They criticized anti-worker policies of the government and demanded relief package for the labour community.

PAIGHAM UNION: The Wapda Paigham Union also held a demonstration outside the Press Club. Criticizing retrenchment and meagre salaries of workers, they demanded that the workers should be paid at least Rs10,000 Eid bonus.