May 14, 2007	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 26, 1428

MANDI BAHAUDDIN, May 13: Opposition parties observed black day here on Sunday and elsewhere in the province against Karachi killings.

Reports said leaders and workers of MMA, PPP, TI and PML-N fastened black strips around their arms and marched along roads. The JI workers took out a rally at Phalia to register their anger over the massacre. The participants chanted slogans against the rulers.

Addressing the participants, JI Amir Zaigham Mughera said the Sindh government was responsible for lawlessness in Karachi. Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s visit to Lahore and other cities remained peaceful, but in Karachi miscreants resorted to firing while the CJP was under police custody at the Karachi airport, he said.

Punjab PPP council member Shakeel Ijaz said footages of private TV channels showed the identity of attackers and demanded strict action against them.

SAHIWAL: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) held a public meeting on Sunday with Mehr Mazar Muhammad Fatiana advocate in the chair and criticised the government for killing innocent people.

A large number of political workers attended the meeting.

Speakers termed the killings state terrorism of the Sindh government which had stopped law-enforcement agencies from arresting rioters.

PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto also spoke to the protesting workers by telephone. She said days of the rulers had been numbered.

The MMA also took out a rally from Dosehra ground, led by its president Munawar Ali Khan and ARD chief Mehr Ghulam Farid Kathia.

Later, the MMA held Quran Khawani for the victims.

OKARA: The local leadership of PPP, PML-N, Sunni Tehrik and other parties strongly condemned the Karachi riots and blamed MQM activists for the terrorism.

The PPP offered `Ghaibana Nimaz-i-Janaza’ for the victims at party’s office at central Benazir Avenue.

Sunni Tehrik activists Nadeem Ansari and Asghar Sohail Qadri strongly protested against the killings of workers of PPP, PML-N and the tehrik. They said Gen Pervez Musharraf and MQM were responsible for the riots.

LAYYAH: The ARD and MMA jointly took out a protest rally on Sunday which started from northern gate of Saddar Bazaar and terminated at Jinnah Park.

A large number of PPP, PML-N and MMA workers participated in the rally and chanted slogans against the government.

At Jinnah Park, participants offered `Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza’ for the victims.

Addressing the rally, MMA parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Asghar Ali Gujar demanded registration of a murder case against President Musharraf, Federal Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, the Sindh governor and the chief minister.

Some speakers said the Supreme Court of Pakistan should take suo motu notice of the riots and punish culprits. They also condemned the thrashing of journalists in Karachi and firing at the AaJ TV office.

SIALKOT: Hundreds of MMA activists, led by its MPA Arshad Mehmood Baggu advocate, took out a peaceful rally which started from Anwar Club and ended at Allama Iqbal Chowk. The protesters holding banners and placards chanted anti-government slogans.

VEHARI: Black day was observed here on Sunday on the call of opposition parties.

Workers of MMA, PPP, and other opposition parties took a round of the main city roads, raising slogans against MQM and Gen Musharraf.

Later, they offered `Ghaibana Nimaz-i-Janaza’ of those who were killed on Saturday in Karachi.

They demanded resignation of the president as the government had failed to establish its writ.

MUZAFFARGARH: A large number of journalists, lawyers and activists of civil society organisations held a demonstration, criticising Pervez Musharraf and MQM chief Altaf Husain.

The angry protesters blocked Kutchery Chowk for some time on Sunday and expressed their anger over the bloodshed in Karachi and firing on the TV channel.

Addressing the protesters, Muzaffargarh Union of Journalists president Dr Khalid Mehmood Zaffar Chaudhry said rulers had started state terrorism against the media. He said the MQM’s hooligans could not deter journalists from performing their duties.

Muzaffargarh Bar Association president Khan Zubaidus Islam Khan Sherwani said military dictators had hijacked the nation at gunpoint and the bloodbath in Karachi seemed to be a conspiracy against the existence of the country.

He said lawyers would file a petition with the court for confining the CJP to the airport and attacking a TV channel.

MULTAN: The PPP on Sunday organised a `Ghaibana Nimaz-i-Janaza’ at MCC Ground where Malik Mukhtar Awan led funeral prayers while leaders Khurshid Khan, Khalid Haneef Lodhi, Saleem Raja, Khwja Rizwan Alam, Abdul Rauf Lodhi, Rao Sajid Ali, Saeed Moni, A.D Baloch, Malik Saleemur Rehman, Javed Ansari and Akram Ansari were also present.

KASUR: Hundreds of people, including political workers, lawyers, students and representatives of trade organisations offered funeral prayers in absentia at the shrine of Baba Bulleh Shah (RA) here on Sunday.

Later, MNA Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmad, MPA Syed Muzaffar Ali Kazmi, Dr Muhammad Akram and others raised their voice against the `dictatorial’ government, condemning the killing of innocent people in Karachi.

They said the bloodbath through a self-created situation by the government had tarnished the image of Pakistan in the comity of nations.

They said the remarks of the Sindh chief minister and MQM ministers about the CJP were condemnable.

They chanted slogans against the Musharraf government and demanded restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to bring about peace in the country.