Countrywide protests continue against Nato attack

LAHORE: Thousands of people turned out in the streets of Pakistan Friday to denounce the unprovoked Nato attacks of last Saturday that resulted in the deaths of over two dozen Pakistani soldiers.

Khateebs in Friday sermons condemned the blatant Nato aggression while leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami and other religious parties addressed protest rallies and called for a resolute stand against the aggressor.

Protest rallies were held in the federal capital, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha, and various other cities and towns.

Jamaate Islami chief Syed Munawar Hasan in his Friday sermon at the Mansoora mosque, Lahore said the US had begun an undeclared war with Pakistan and its drones had killed thousands of innocent citizens in tribal areas.

The latest NATO attack, he said, could be termed blatant aggression and terrorism. The workers of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), Lahore also staged a protest rally and appealed to the international community to stop such violations.

In Rawalpindi, a big rally was staged outside the Press Club, which was addressed by the JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch, while students of Hamdard University in Islamabad also held a protest rally.

The JI Punjab chief Dr. Syed Waseem Akhtar led the rally in Multan while the Peshawar rally was taken out from the historic Masjid Mahabat Khan and was led by Prof. Muhammad Ibrhaim.

Various rallies were taken out in all four districts of the Faisalabad division. The protesters were holding national flags, placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of the Pak Army and against US and Nato forces. The members of Anjuman-e-Tajran Punjab and Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry gathered at Chowk GTS and shouted slogans in favour of the Pak Army.

In Gujranwala activists of the Jamaatud Dawa and another organisation conducted a rally while another was held from the Jamiat office near Nigar Crossing, which culminated at Sheranwala Bagh.

In Okara the Sunni Tehrik, Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) held rallies in protest against the Nato attack on the Pakistani check post. In Toba Tek Singh three rallies were held to condemn the Nato attack on Friday. The Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba held a rally from the Government Municipal Degree College. The Shabab-e-Milli also held a rally, which reached the same place. The Jamaat-e-Islami rally started from Civil Lines and reached Shuhada Chowk on Jhang Road.

The journalist community in Tank, Waziristan staged a protest rally in which protesters gathered at the District Press Club and marched to the Kashmir Chowk. The rally was addressed by vice president of the press club, Muhammad Rafiq Arain, and patron-in-chief of the Tank Press Club, Shiakh Ehsanullah.

The Christian community of Ghalanai, headquarters of the Mohmand Agency, Friday staged a protest against the Nato attack on the Pakistani post. The protesters organised a public meeting at the main gate of the press club. Addressing the protesters, priest Imran Raza condemned the Nato air strike on the Pakistani post and the killing of jawans.

Meanwhile different civil society organisations and unions in Islamabad will organise a protest rally against the Nato attacks on December 8. This was announced by the representatives of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association, Islamabad Bar Association, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, Capital Development Authority (CDA) Labour Union and National Press Club here Friday while addressing a joint press conference at the National Press Club. Zaman Mughal was appointed Chairman of the Joint Action Committee.

The representative of different organisations categorically said no political party flags or banners would be allowed at the demonstrations. “Only the national flag can be brought to the rally,” they remarked.

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