Khatm-e-Nabuwwat rallies staged

LAHORE: Rallies in support of3 Khatm-e-Nabuwwat were staged throughout the country. A big rally was brought out on the Murree Road, Rawalpindi, warning against any conspiracy against the law of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.

As various religious organisations observed a protest day on Friday to condemn Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s alleged statement supporting the Qadiyanis’ stance and the last week’s amendment in People’s Representatives Act which was later withdrawn, the workers of Tehrik Sirat-e-Mustaqeem continued their sit-in outside the Kotwali Police Station where the party chief, Dr Ashraf Jalali, had been detained since Thursday.

Several protests were held after the Friday prayers outside mosques and party offices, while prayer leaders in their sermons condemned Rana Sana.

They said the provincial minister must tender an unconditional apology and renew his faith because such a statement amounted to renege of the basic principles of Islam. Otherwise, they demanded, he must be removed from the cabinet and the Punjab Assembly membership.

Addressing the protest meetings and demonstrations, the religious leaders warned against the ‘West-backed conspiracies’ to remove the Islamic articles from the Constitution of Pakistan as witnessed in the case of the withdrawn amendment last week. They alleged that several ministers and officials of the PML-N were working on implementing the ‘heinous conspiracy’.

Tanzeem-e-Islami chief Hafiz Akif Saeed said Rana Sana was playing with fire by issuing irresponsible statements on a highly sensitive matter which the entire Ummah held very dearly. He said a man with his experience must know that political point-scoring by targeting religious tenets could cost very dearly to the PML-N government which was already shaking under corruption scandals and misuse of power.

JUP president Qari Zawwar Bahadur demanded immediate removal of Rana Sanaullah and lifting the ban on publishing statements and debate on Khatm-e-Nubawwat which, he said, was a violation of the Constitution and democracy.

BUREWALA: PTI, JUI-F and others parties and groups held a similar protest in the town, demanding Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take action against Rana Sana.

Addressing the protesters, PTI local leader Farooq Awan, Ejaz Aslam, Hafiz Yasir Rashidi, Ghulam Mustafa Bhatti and others said they would start a countrywide movement to foil the conspiracy. 

GUJRANWALA: Different religious parties – including Sunni Tehreek and Jamaat Ahle Sunnat – held rallies in the city. The protesters were chanting slogans in favour of Khatm-e-Nubawwat and against Rana Sana.

MULTAN: The activists of Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF) staged a demonstration against Rana Sana and demanded his removal from the provincial cabinet and assembly.