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Ban on protest rallies unacceptable: Qazi Lahore, Feb 15: Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Qazi Hussain Ahmad has condemned the rulers for banning protests and rallies on blasphemy issue on the pretext of "violence" and said people will never accept it. Addressing a press conference at party headquarters Mansoorah Wednesday, he said rulers are maligning religious workers through a malicious propaganda in media without first tracing the identity of those who resorted to violence. He said government can identify them with the help of video footage of the incident by TV channels. He said their appearance suggest that they were not religious or political workers and were planted by the government to fail the movement by giving a violent color to the peaceful protests. Qazi said the government failed in its responsibility of maintaining law and order, and maligning the religious elements to cover up its own failure. Qazi said the police were insufficiently deployed and it unnecessarily resorted to shelling and firing which provoked the mobs of youths. He expressed sorrow that police is deployed for providing security to the VVIPs while people are left on the mercy of criminals that result in such kinds of incidents. He asked the rulers to step down if they are so afraid of their own nation and leave the arena for genuine and able leadership. He said the same elements resorted to violence in Peshawar on Wednesday because no religious workers would like to damage their own provincial government in the province. He said the pent up public anger and frustration on price hike, US slavery and inadequate response to blasphemous caricatures found its way out in Lahore on Tuesday. Congratulating people of Lahore on displaying a great show on Tuesday, Qazi said the love of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is a precious belonging for Muslims that elevates them to moral heights. But, he said, this protest movement needs to be given a positive direction so that it gives political unity and stability to the nation and result in ridding the nation from martial law and bringing up honest leadership. Qazi said JI has always maintained peace in its rallies comprising even millions of people. He said MMA will continue its protest programs as announced earlier and will defy all bans of the government because it amounts to usurping the fundamental rights of the people. He said Shan-e-Mustafa rallies will be held on Feb 19 in Islamabad, Feb 26 in Lahore, March 3 countrywide strike, March 5 in Karachi and March 7 in Quetta. He said we will maintain peace if we are there among the people. He asked the armed forces to make Gen Musharraf quit because he had already been ciaos for the last 8 years instead of 3 year tenure. He said during Musharraf era the whole nation and the armed forces suffered badly. He said rulers were secularizing the society through marathon, Valentine day, and vulgarity on media for the sake of a small section of society, and they were aided by those who moved the bill in the parliament to repeal Hudood laws. |
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Central Information
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