People show anger over blasphemous sketches
KARACHI – Karachiites Friday expressed their angered sentiments against reprinting of blasphemous sketches by the Denmark newspapers and an anti-Islamic film by Holland against the Islam.
The City on Friday remained mainly closed due to strike call given by Sunni Tehreek and main shopping corridors of the City remained closed and thin presence of public transport was also witnessed.
The dozens of protest demonstrations were organised by the various religious parties across the City against the reprinting of blasphemous caricature of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Danish newspapers that had unleashed the wide-spread anger among the Muslims across the Islamic world.
The strike call was given by the Sunni-Tehreek, which was endorsed by leading Ahle-Sunnat organisations and business associations. Some transport organisations also supported the call given by the ST and other organisations.
Almost some of the main shopping centres, trade centres and markets of the city including Jhona market, Kharadar, Methdar, Joria Bazar, Saddar, Bohri Bazar, Khajoor Market, Motan Das market, Jama Cloth, Liaquatabad market, Cloth market, Medicine market, Zaib-u-Nisa market, Electronics market and Sarafa Bazar have closed down; however the banks, private offices, industrial areas, and the educational institutions were remained open.
Another protest demonstration was organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) at Noman Mosque Lasbella Chowk.
Addressing the demonstration, JI Karachi Chief Mohammad Hussain Mehanti demanded the OIC Senegal Summit to announce severing of the diplomatic and trade relations with Denmark.
He criticised the dual standards of the West and said that on one hand they expressed their angered over the discussion of Holocaust but on the other hand they supported the printing of blasphemous caricatures giving it name of freedom of expression.
He urged the government to call the US ambassador and strongly protest against the attack within the Pakistani territory by the US forces.
He regretted over the soft attitude adopted in the OIC Senegal Summit and claimed that in this meeting OIC they did not discussed severing of ties with Denmark.
Meanwhile, about nine vehicles were burnt and many people sustained bullet injuries while police arrested over one dozen ST workers from different areas of the city. The injured include: Saleem, 30, Shahrukh Khan, 18, Shafiq Mor, Yawer, 42, Sajjad, 10, Kauser Khan, Ghulam Hussain, Manzoor, Sakina and Mateen, Atiq, Ali Gohar, Yousuf and a unidentified passer-by.
Two ST workers Saqib and Muslim Qadri sustained bullets wounds at Shah Faisal Colony and in the limit of Taimoria police station. An internet cafe was also reportedly burnt.
City Police Chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui said that police have arrested eleven ST workers. Siddiqui said seven of them were arrested when they were fleeing after burning two vehicles at Landhi Town.
The rest of four workers were arrested from Sadr town when they were trying to close the market, the CCPO added. He said cases would be registered against them.
Siddiqui said that due to the strict security measures, no major incident took place while four vehicles were burnt and seven people were reportedly hurt.
On the other hand, ST central leader Shahid Ghouri said workers were not behind violence elsewhere in the city. He said about 20 ST workers are taken into the custody from different parts of the city. The arrested activists included Farhan, Faheem, Mujahid Qadri, Shoaib, Kamran, Yasir, Adnan and Salman. Asad, Taufiq, Kamran and two unidentified were arrested by North Nazimabad police. Adnan, Waqar, Asif and Tayyab from Taimoria and two other activists from Mehmoodabad.
ASP Farrukh Bashir said that the all over situation of the town was normal.
An on-duty policeman named Mohammad Asif of Mehmoodabad Police Station said police arrested two ST workers Abdul Aziz and Ghulam Hussain and recovered two TT pistols and one motorcycle from their possession. Police registered an FIR number 52/08 against them on behalf of the government. The policeman said that these ST workers were trying to shut down the market in Mehmoodabad area.
Source: The Nation
Date:3/15/2008
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