Lal Masjid, Jamia Hafsa students hold protest rally

ISLAMABAD The students of the Jamia Hafsa, Lal Masjid and tutors once again appeared on scene on Saturday morning against US federal court verdict sentencing Dr Aafia Siddiqui to 86 years in jail and demanded of the government to sever diplomatic relations with the American government. Over 2000 students of Jamia Hafsa and a number of Madaris including Jamia Zunaira, Jamia Rukia, Jamia Fatma-tul-Zuhara, Jamia Saleem, Jamia Samia and Jamia Khair-un-Nisa gathered at Jamia Hafsa and condemned governments callous attitude towards the plight of Dr Aafia Saddiqui. The security around Jamia Hafsa was tightened ahead of the e event, as a heavy contingent of police was deployed there. The participants of the event chanted anti-US and anti government slogans and said that implementation of Shariah in the country was their mission. Pakistan was created in the name of Islam then why government refuses to implement Shariah, they opined. Some of the participants present at the occasion said that the government had miserably failed in extending legal assistance to Aafia. The sentence bears testimony to the fact that this government is puppet of the US. The students called for the immediate release of Dr Aafia. The protesters were chanting slogans like 'Release Dr Aafia, Reconstruct Jamia Hafsa, 'the blood spilt of Red Mosque martyrs would not go in vain, 'Islamic system will only come through revolution and 'Solution of Pakistans problems lies in Holy Quran and Sunnah Male and female participants of the demonstration demanded of the government to fulfil its promises made with the people during the election campaign. They also demanded the reconstruction of the demolished Jamia Hafsa. The handing over of the mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation to another country would not be tolerated, they noted. Maulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi, his wife Umm -e- Hassan and daughter Hamna Abdullah Ghazi were the main speakers at the occasion. While speaking at the occasion, Maulana Abdul Aziz condemned the governments foreign policy saying that government should snap ties with the American government. He praised the media for exposing corrupt faces. He emphasiaed that the present government could neither resolve the problems of the people nor it could help release Dr Aafia, instead the Islam and Islamic system in the country would help resolve all the problems. In her address Umm-e- Hassan wife of Moulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi demanded Dr Aafais release on humanitarian grounds. Claiming that Siddiqui is innocent, daughter of Moulana Abdul Aziz Ghazi demanded quashing of the sentence and Dr Aafias release. She continued that the allegations against Dr Siddiqui are false, as they could not prove them. Later, all the students of Jamia Hafsa dispersed peacefully.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt