LAHORE  -   Claiming the PTI government was bent upon amending blasphemy laws and recognising Israel as a legitimate state, religious parties have warned Islamabad to clarify its position on the issues or get ready to face a powerful movement.

The proposed movement, said the leaders while addressing a ‘million march’ on The Mall on Thursday, will be similar to that started in 1953 and it will continue till the ouster of the government. The Khatme Nabuwat movement of 1953 was launched to declare Ahmedis non-Muslims.

The Muttahida Majlise Amal, an alliance of five religious parties, organised the ‘million march’ against Aasia Bibi’s acquittal by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Around 4,000 to 5,000 workers mainly from the JUI-F participated in the show. Maulana Fazlur Rehman was the main speaker and his party made more than 80 percent strength of the show. The rest of the participants were from the Jamaat-i-Islami, a component of MMA along with JUP-Imam Noorani, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith and Tehreek-i-Islami.

Maulana Fazl, addressing the rally, claimed that it was proved now what he had been saying for 15 years about Imran Khan. He said Imran was an agent of the Jews and Western powers. He was imposed on Pakistan as prime minister on their behest to damage the Islamic identity of the country, he claimed.

Acquittal of Aasia by the top court, he alleged, was done to please the Western powers and the decision was backed by the present rulers. No government other than the PTI could have dared to back such verdict, he claimed. Fazl claimed PTI government’s next agenda was to amend blasphemy and anti-Ahmedi laws and declare Pakistan a secular state.

His (Khan’s) agenda, he said, could not be allowed to succeed and religious forces should get united and ready to launch a powerful movement against it.

“Today’s march is symbolic and it proves that millions of Muslims are united against evil designs of secular powers,” he said and announced the next rally will be organised in Sukkur on November 25. The religious parties, he said, will announce with consensus the next line of action after Sukkur rally.     

JI acting chief Hafiz Idrees, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Sajid Mir, JUI-F secretary general Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, JUP-Imam Noorani secretary general Awais Noorani, JUI-F senior leader and KP former CM Akram Khan Durrani, Jamiat Ahle Hadith head Hafiz Ibtisam Elahi and representatives of different seminaries and religious organisations also spoke on the occasion.

They demanded Supreme Court to review the decision on Aasia’s acquittal as it hurt, according to them, the sentiments of millions of Muslims.