Jamat-e-Islami took out a rally here on Friday to protest against the military operation in Swat, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and the ongoing violence in other parts of NWFP. Ameer Jamat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Ameer Jamat-e-Islami NWFP Sirajul Haq led the rally, which started from Aabpara Chowk, and after passing through Melody Market culminated in Blue Area.
Protesters displaying banners and placards chanted anti-US slogans and criticised the government and demanded an immediate halt to the military operation in Swat, Fata and other parts of NWFP. Addressing the rally Qazi Hussain Ahmad, condemning the killing of innocent people in the operation, said US is hatching conspiracies and pitting pushtoons against the army due to ineffective foreign policy of the government.
He also expressed his concern over the clashes in different parts of NWFP and said that Awami National Party (ANP) government in NWFP had failed to protect the life and property of people in the province. He said that thousands of people had fled their residences to seek shelter in other areas as a result of military operation but government has not taken any serious steps to end the hostilities.
Sirajul Haq said that military launched an operation in August to establish the writ of the government over the strategically key region of Bajaur but has unfortunately been involved in heavy fighting since then.
About 4,000 families, or around 20,000 individuals, have fled Bajaur and have sought shelter in Kunar province of Afghanistan, he said and urged the government to stop following General Musharraf's policy of war in the province as people of the area need peace not bombs. He said that people of Fata were their brothers and sisters and they could not see them suffering any longer. "We share their grief. They have lost their family members, their homes and their livelihood, in short they have lost everything", he added.
He said that the government should provide relief to the affected people and take urgent steps to end the miseries of internally displaced persons due to operation in their respective areas. He said that about 500,000 people have been internally displaced.
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