Crackdown on Sunni Tehreek after threatening remarks against Zardari Shamim Bano Saturday, October 08, 2011

1 The offices of the Sunni Tehreek (ST) were sealed and many of its leaders were a rrested in a crackdown against the party whose leaders said on Friday that Presi dent Zardari would have met the same fate as suffered by Salmaan Taseer if he ha d uttered any sacrilegious remarks. The ST leaders issued this warning while addressing a demonstration of religious parties outside the Karachi Press Club against the death sentence awarded to Mu mtaz Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. On the call of the Sunni Ittehad Council, a conglomerate of more than a dozen re ligious parties, a partial strike was observed in the city against the decision of an anti-terrorism court that awarded the death sentence to Qadri. ST leaders have gone into hiding after the launch of the crackdown. The informat ion secretary of the party, Fahim Shaikh, told The News on the phone from an uni dentified location that law enforcers had picked up some 50 activists, including their central leader Shahid Ghori and member Rabita Committee Mobin Qadri. The party offices have been locked and a large number of law enforcers have been deputed there. ST chief Sarwat Ejaz Qadri strongly condemned raids on the party offices and the arrest of its activists. He demanded the release of Shahid Ghori and others wit hin 24 hours. He criticised the government for using pressure tactics. Meanwhile, a leader of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Haji Hanif Tayyub, told this s cribe that a successful strike was observed all over Karachi. Transport was less than usual, while many shopping centres in the old city areas particularly Jodia Bazaar, Boultan Market, Jama Cloth and Bohra Pir remained cl osed. The strike, however, was not effective in Tariq Road and Clifton areas whe re business went on as usual. Educational institutions remained open and the trading and financial centres on II Chundrigar Road functioned normally on the day. The activists of religious parties converged outside the Karachi Press Club and shouted slogans against the government. They were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans: Down with America and No to US dictation. The emotionally-charged supporters of these religious parties also raised slogan s against President Zardari and declared him a tout of America. Addressing the protesters, Sunni Tehreek chief Sarwat Ejaz Qadri said paign had been launched for the release of Mumtaz Qadri, and vowed to against those who wanted to amend the blasphemy law. It is a sacred if anyone tried to create obstacles in its way he would have to face sequences, he warned. that a cam wage a war movement and severe con

Besides, rallies were taken out from outside various mosques in the city, condem ning the court decision against Qadri. They said that Qadri had killed Salmaan T aseer for committing blasphemy. The entire nation is with Qadri and his hanging w ill give birth to hundreds of Qadris. Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman asked the government to review the decision or be ready t o face the publics decision. Ulema belonging to different sects have already given their edict that awarding the death sentence to Mumtaz Qadri is unlawful. Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami also protested all over the country on the call o f the Tehreek-e-Namoos-e-Risalat. The party brought out rallies in different par ts of the city. The major congregation was held outside Masjid-e-Khizra where a large number of party supporters gathered and shouted slogans against the court decision. While rejecting the court decision, the speakers described it as the murder of j ustice, and vowed to continue their protest till the release of Qadri. The protesters were carrying placards inscribed with slogans: Release the lover o f Prophet and Prophets lover has been handed down death sentence while thousands of murderers are roaming freely in the city.